Supreme Court Litigator Dies in Plane Crash

Former Texas Solicitor General, Greg Coleman, 47, died in a tragic plane crash near Destin, Florida on November 23.  Coleman, a partner at YetterColeman in Austin, was a respected Supreme Court litigator who had previously served as a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

In 2009, Coleman successfully argued in Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder, Attorney General (NAMUDNO) that the district could bailout from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act.  The case also raised constitutional issues regarding the validity of Section 5.  (See below “Will Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act Survive?”)

Coleman was recently hired by Texas House Speaker Joe Straus to serve as his redistricting litigation counsel during the 2011 redistricting cycle.

Rest in Peace.