California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and the University of California submitted friend-of-the-court briefs to the nation’s highest court on Monday to show support for the University of Texas, which is currently in the midst of a court case about affirmative action policy.
Though submitted separately, the briefs ask the Supreme Court to affirm a race-conscious admissions policy by the University of Texas. The case, Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, involves a white student who claims she was racially discriminated against because of the university’s consideration of race in its admissions decisions.
The ruling on Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin will be the Supreme Court’s first ruling on affirmative action in higher education since 2003, which allows public colleges and universities to consider race in order to ensure diversity on campus. The ruling also determined that public universities cannot use a point system to reward minority applicants.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments, which involve interpretations of the U. S. Constitution or federal law, for the Fisher case in early October.
In 1996, California voters passed Proposition 209, a statewide ban on affirmative action that formally forbade public universities in California from using race or gender as a factor in college admissions.
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of the University of Texas, then higher education institutions across the nation may be affected and Proposition 209 would likely be overturned, the Daily Bruin reported earlier this year.
“Ours is a unique story that shines a light on the obstacles we face as we seek to enrich the UC educational experience through diversity,” said UC President Mark Yudof in a statement. “The facts tell us the educational and societal benefits from a diverse student body cannot be realized fully at the nation’s largest, highly selective university system without the judicious use of tools that take race into account during undergraduate admissions decisions.”
Harris’s brief argues that a diverse educational experience is critical in preparing students for the professional world and for civic participation.
The UC’s brief can be found here.
Compiled by Carly Cody, Bruin senior staff.