A University of Nebraska Law researcher's work examines the intersection of administrative law, the separation of powers, and election law.
Brandon Johnson, assistant professor of law, is currently focusing on the ways in which the courts attempt to shape the interactions of democratic institutions, specifically as it relates to electoral law cases.
"I am currently researching various ways in which the court is overseeing electoral law cases and how it's doing it in ways that don't seem to align with how it addresses those same legal questions in different areas of law," Johnson said. "I'm also looking at the way in which the court's current trend to reverse well settled precedent might impact election law cases down the road."
His research is especially interested in two key U.S. Supreme Court decisions:
- Shelby County v. Holder which struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, effectively releasing jurisdictions from federal oversight and allowing states and localities to freely enact voting laws.
- The 2019 opinion in Rucho v. Common Cause, holding that partisan gerrymanders are non-justiciable political questions.
Johnson is a leader in the field of election jurisprudence. Nationally recognized publications, including Washington University Law Review, Wake Forest Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law and Boston University Law Review, have published his work.
He has also testified in front of the Nebraska State Legislature and consulted with national election law organizations, including Keep Our Republic and Protect Democracy.
