Grutter v. Bollinger

The Court held that a narrowly tailored race-conscious admissions program serves a compelling interest in student body diversity.

Overview

Barbara Grutter, rejected by the University of Michigan law school, challenged its admissions program considering race as one factor among many. Justice O'Connor, for a 5-4 majority, endorsed the diversity rationale of Bakke, finding the school's flexible, individualized review constitutional, unlike the automatic points system struck down in Gratz the same day. O'Connor expressed the expectation that race-conscious programs would no longer be necessary in twenty-five years. Grutter preserved affirmative action in higher education for two decades, until Students for Fair Admissions overruled its central holding in 2023.