I do not take a position either pro or con race-based admission decisions in this Blog, but rather want to accomplish three different things: In Part I, below, I want to help prepare readers for the case decisions...more
On June 23, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion for the second time in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, (Fisher II), a case that directly questioned whether race can be considered at all in college...more
In a marked departure from the overwhelming success employers experienced before the Supreme Court in recent years, the less successful recently wrapped 2014-2015 term could be an indication that the judicial tides may be...more
Looking back at the recently-completed 2012-2013 Supreme Court term, employers should have reason to feel good about how things turned out. In fact, of the six major decisions that impact employers and can be categorized in...more
As the United States Supreme Court’s 2012-2013 term drew to a close at the end of June, commentators observed a continuing gradual but perceptible shift to the right by the Court. The Roberts Court is generally viewed as...more
As we and just about everyone else have noted, Justice Kennedy, writing for a 7-to-1 majority of the Supreme Court of the United States, sent the hot potato Fisher case back to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to “assess...more
Justice Kennedy, in an opinion joined by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Alito, Scalia, Thomas, Breyer, and Sotomayor, wrote that public universities’ race-conscious admissions policies are constitutionally permissible and...more
Windsor v. United States - Issue: Can the federal government define marriage? Holding: No. Loser: The federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which was passed in 1996 and signed by President Clinton, was...more
This week the Supreme Court issued three decisions that may significantly impact federal contractors and other employers: In Fisher v. University of Texas, No. 11-345 (U.S. June 24, 2013), the Supreme Court held that a...more