[June 23, 2003] By Wayland Goode

  Historic injustices on minority groups promoted this state program.  It applies not only to college applications, but to workforce opportunity.  Promotion of Equal Opportunity. Affirmative Action

  Barbara Grutter  white female Michigan resident with a 3.8 GPA and 161 LSAT score  Got denied acceptance into the Michigan University’s Law School  Affirmative action was an unfair means of selection, based off a “quota system”  : “violation of the Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981”; that she was rejected under the basis that the Law School affirmative action plan gave minorities of disadvantaged groups an unreasonable lead upon those who did not suffer from such a disadvantage.” Plantiff

  Lee Bollinger  President of Michigan University during the lawsuit  Promoted affirmative action as equalizer for the minority and maintained diversity within the Law School Program  Initially viewed Barbara Grutter as a minor problem Defendant

  Jurisdiction held in Eastern District of Michigan  In March 2001, U.S. District Court Judge Bernard A. Friedman ruled that the admissions policies were unconstitutional because they "clearly consider" race and are "practically indistinguishable from a quota system.“  Regents of the University of California v. Bakke set the foundation for affirmative action legality. District Court

  U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversed the decision of district court stating, that allowing the use of race to further the "compelling interest" of diversity, not to fill a quota, is constitutional in accordance to Regents of the University of California v. Bakke  Harvard and University of Michigan have the exact same admissions policy, which was considered the ideal policy in the earlier Supreme Court ruling 25 years ago The Sixth Appeal Court reversed

  Barbara Grutter’s lost in the appeals court subsequently led her to seek justice in the Supreme Court  The Supreme court decided to hear her case based off: The violation of the 14 th Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause, and Civil Rights Act Supreme Court

  On April , the Supreme Court Case started.  Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, held that the United States Constitution a 5 to 4 majority ruling on the side of the defendant. Supreme Court Ruling

  Majority Opinions  NO quota system found.  Promotion of diversity  Equal to other means of deciding an applicant  This should no longer exist 25 years from now Majority and Dissenting Opinions

  Dissenting Opinions  Justice Thomas noted that in United States v. Virginia, 518 U.S. 515  25 year limit is poor scapegoat to an increasing problem  Michigan University will no longer be an elite school Majority and Dissenting Opinions

  While race is not the only factor in college admissions, it can now be used by colleges with any sort of unconstitutional repercussions. O'Connor's opinion answers the problem that as long as we continue to use affirmative actions in just means towards just ends, than no constitutional law is broken.  Initiatives established across the country. Lasting Effects

 Work Cited