Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the U.S. Reports opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Allan Bakke, a white applicant, challenged the University of California Medical School’s admissions program, which reserved seats for minority applicants. The Supreme Court struck down strict racial quotas as unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause but upheld the use of race as one factor among many in admissions.

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (2023)

1) Link to the Actual Opinion
Read the Supreme Court opinion (PDF)

2) Summary of the Opinion
Students for Fair Admissions challenged the admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, arguing that their consideration of race violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 that race-conscious admissions programs at both schools were unconstitutional.

3) Why It Mattered
This decision effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions, overturning decades of precedent (Grutter v. Bollinger, 2003) that had allowed limited consideration of race to promote diversity.