Defending the Constitutionality of Race-Conscious University Admissions

Vinay Harpalani, J.D., Ph.D. Lee and Leon Karelitz Chair in Evidence and Procedure, Professor of Law, University of New Mexico School of Law

October 29, 2015

For the last several decades, affirmative action in higher education—and specifically the use of race-conscious policies in university admissions has been one of the most charged legal and political issues in America. Several states, including California, Washington, Florida, Arizona, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire, have enacted state laws prohibiting race-conscious policies.

Although the U.S. Supreme Court has heard many cases related to race-conscious university admissions, the legal debates continue. In its October 2015 term, the Court will again consider Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, just two years after initially hearing the case.

Read the full Issue Brief here: Defending_the_Constitutionality_of_Race