A Look at the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Ruling, and the Fallout in Georgia

Latham

  On Monday, June 24, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to issue a sweeping decision on the use of affirmative action in college admissions.  

In a 7-1 ruling in a Texas case, the Court sent the issue back to a lower court, with some guidelines on what the Texas court should consider.  

The decision means that affirmative action can still, for now, be used in college admissions.  

Following the decision, WABE’s Denis O’Hayer spoke with Lori Alvino McGill, a Washington, D.C. attorney with Latham & Watkins.  She was a principal author of the merits brief on behalf of the Texas admissions program.  

On April 17, 2013, she had been in Atlanta to take part in the Robert S. Vance Forum, which looked at the future of affirmative action following the Texas case (Fisher v. University of Texas).Broadcast VersionExpanded Version

(Georgia currently does not use affirmative action as a factor in college admissions.  Its policy was found unconstitutional by a Federal appeals court more than a decade ago.  After the new Supreme Court ruling in the Texas case, Georgia Board of Regents spokesman John Milsaps issued a brief statement:  ”The 31 colleges that make up the University System follow Federal law with regards to the admissions of students.  At all 31 institutions, race or ethnicity is not a determining factor in admissions.”)