Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard

Students for Fair Admissions is challenging Harvard's use of race in its admissions process. The group argues that the university's program violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act by penalizing Asian-American applicants and failing to use race-neutral alternatives.

This case could change how every college in the country selects its students. If the Court rules against Harvard, schools may no longer be allowed to consider a student's race as a factor for admission.

For decades, the Court has allowed colleges to use race in a limited way to promote diversity on campus. This case asks the Court to overturn those past decisions and require "colorblind" admissions instead.

The challengers argue that Harvard's program unfairly penalizes Asian-American applicants and engages in racial balancing. They claim the school ignores race-neutral ways to achieve diversity.

The Supreme Court is being asked to decide if race-based affirmative action should be banned in college admissions.

The Court has agreed to hear the case, but oral arguments have not yet been scheduled. After the arguments take place, the justices will meet privately to vote and begin writing their opinions.

Harvard is accused of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race. The challengers argue that Harvard's program unfairly penalizes Asian-American applicants while favoring other groups.

The Equal Protection Clause requires the government to treat people equally regardless of race. The challengers argue that this principle should apply to all students, without regard to any differences of race or color.

The group is asking the Court to overrule a previous case that allowed race-conscious admissions. They want the Court to bar colleges from using race as a factor in any part of the process.

Race-neutral alternatives are ways to achieve diversity without looking at a student's race. The challengers argue Harvard rejected workable alternatives that would have kept the school diverse without using racial preferences.

The next major milestone will be oral arguments, where lawyers for both sides present their cases. After that, the public will wait several months for the Court to release its final written decision.