Public-interest litigation changed constitutional law through test cases

Evidence

Following graduation, Marshall enlisted in the efforts of the NAACP to combat racial discrimination through litigation. For more than 20 years, as head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, he instituted or managed literally hundreds of cases challenging discriminatory laws dealing with voting, housing, education, and public accommodations. Several times he successfully pursued these challenges to the Supreme Court. His most important victory came with Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, when he persuaded the Supreme Court to invalidate racial discrimination in public education. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 604

Categorization

• XREF: Shows cause-lawyering and test-case strategy that produced Brown, exemplifying how lawyers shape doctrine. — connects to: Social change reshapes the constitutional issues courts address over time — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2840; Civil-liberties litigation shifted to state courts when the Supreme Court grew conservative; Change in federal court orientation diverts rights litigation into state courts and constitutions. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1729 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Change in federal court orientation diverts rights litigation into state courts and constitutions. #exemplifies (0.85) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1729
• Civil-liberties litigation shifted to state courts when the Supreme Court grew conservative #exemplifies (0.82)
• Social change reshapes the constitutional issues courts address over time #expands (0.75) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 2840