Redistricting, in its most basic sense, is the redrawing of state and congressional political borders in response to shifting population trends and relocation of the population that are indicated in a decennial census.

The United States Constitution requires Congressional districts to be apportioned to establish population equality as nearly as practicable. The United States Supreme Court has articulated a specific requirement mandating precise mathematical equality of population in each Congressional District. State Legislative redistricting follows similar guidelines. Michigan law requires that district lines preserve county lines to the extent that preservation of county lines does not result in inequality of population. Michigan law also requires that districts be areas of convenient territory contiguous by land. This requirement essentially requires a district to be a continuous entity.

Despite specific guidelines governing redistricting, the process is often filled with political maneuvering aimed at self-preservation. The process known as Gerrymandering is a form of redistricting in which electoral districts are manipulated for an electoral advantage. This usually occurs due to a partisan domination of the Legislature coupled with improved technology that allows the Legislature to construct contiguous districts that pack opponents into as few districts as possible, leading to district maps skewed towards the majority party.

Several Dykema attorneys have significant experience in the redistricting process, having participated in redistricting efforts for decades. Most recently, Dykema attorneys, then serving as Assistant Michigan Attorneys General, represented the State of Michigan in defending the state's 2000 legislative redistricting plan.