Oral Argument: Louisiana v. Callais | Case No. 24-109 | Oral Argument Date: 10/15/25

Oral Argument: Louisiana v. Callais | Case No. 24-109 | Oral Argument Date: 10/15/25

Link to Docket: Here

Consolidated with: Robinson v. Callais | Case No. 24-110 | Oral Argument Date: 10/15/25 | Docket Link: Here

Case Preview: Here

Background: Over the State's strenuous objections, the Middle District of Louisiana held, Robinson v. Ardoin , 605 F. Supp. 3d 759 (M.D. La. 2022)-and the Fifth Circuit affirmed, Robinson v. Ardoin , 86 F.4th 574 (5th Cir. 2023)-that Louisiana likely violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) by failing to create a second majority-Black congressional district. The Fifth Circuit gave the Legislature a small window of time to adopt its own remedial plan, or else the State would have to go to trial, which would almost certainly end in the Middle District imposing its own preferred map.

Rather than acquiesce in the Middle District's preferences, the Legislature reclaimed its sovereign redistricting pen and passed S.B. 8, which created a second majority-Black district as the courts demanded, protected the Legislature's sovereign prerogatives, and achieved its political goals. In this case, a majority of a three-judge court sitting in the Western District of Louisiana enjoined S.B. 8 as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander.

Question Presented: Did the majority err in finding that race predominated in the Legislature's enactment of S.B. 8? Did the majority err in finding that S.B. 8 fails strict scrutiny? Did the majority err in subjecting S.B. 8 to the Gingles preconditions? Is this action non-justiciable?

Oral Advocates:

• For Petitioner Press Robinson: Janai Nelson, New York
• For Petitioner Louisiana: J. Benjamin Aguiñaga, Solicitor General, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• For Appellees: Edward D. Greim, Kansas City, Missouri
• For United States, as Amicus Curiae, in Support of Appellees: Hashim M. Mooppan, Principal Deputy Solicitor General, Department of Justice

Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Argument Preview

[00:01:00] Argument Begins

[00:01:09] Appellant Press Robinson Opening Statement

[00:03:32] Appellant Press Robinson Free for All Questions

[00:26:15] Appellant Press Robinson Sequential Questions

[00:47:32] Appellant Louisiana Opening Statement

[00:49:02] Appellant Louisiana Free for All Questions

[00:57:59] Appellant Louisiana Sequential Questions

[01:20:21] Callais Appellees Opening Statement

[01:21:47] Callais Appellees Free for All Questions

[01:31:11] Callais Appellees Sequential Questions

[01:40:35] United States as Amicus Curaie Opening Statement

[01:41:42] United States as Amicus Curaie Free for All Questions

[01:51:08] United States as Amicus Curaie Sequential Questions

[02:25:32] Appellant Press Robinson Rebuttal