by Courtney Carter
NALP Bulletin+
September 2023
Useful Resources
For more information, watch the July 10 webinar where NALP hosted a fantastic panel of experts breaking down the Supreme Court’s opinion titled: Where Do We Go From Here? A Discussion Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decisions in the ‘Affirmative Action’ Cases.
And visit NALPconnect to find other beneficial resources on the opinion.
On June 29, the Supreme Court issued its opinion in the Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina. At issue was can a college admissions office consider race as a "plus factor" as part of a holistic admissions process under the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination by private institutions receiving Federal financial assistance. In a 6-3 decision authored by Chief Justice Roberts, the Court held that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and UNC violate the U.S. Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.
As NALP members, we care deeply about DEI, and this article is meant to help you begin to think about what you and your organization should do now that the decision has been issued. Note, this is not legal advice, and you will want to work with your organization's legal counsel to consider how these suggestions will work best for your organization. Think of this as a starting point.
Courtney Carter is Director of Diversity & Inclusion at Jenner & Block LLP and also serves on NALP's Board of Directors as Vice-President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.