THE REVIVAL OF FORWARD-LOOKING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

Abstract

The Supreme Court's decision in Grutter v. Bollinger,1 upholding race-conscious affirmative action in admissions to the University of Michigan Law School, is widely seen as a landmark decision for its reaffirmation ofJustice Lewis Powell's position in the Bakke case2 a quarter century ago. The Powell opinion had justified the consideration of race as one factor in a public university's admissions process designed to produce diversity in its student body for educational purposes.3 In Grutter, the Court spelled out in some detail the potential educational advantages of student diversity, including the preparation of graduates for a society and a work force that are growing more and more diverse. The opinion thus provides a grounding in social science for the advantages Justice Powell had asserted on the basis of less evidence.