trump administration prepare redirect resources justice department civil right division toward investigate sue universities affirmative action admissions policies deem discriminate white applicants accord document obtain new york times.the document internal announcement civil right division seek current lawyers interest work new project investigations possible litigation relate intentional race-based discrimination college university admissions announcement suggest project run division front office trump administration political appointees work rather educational opportunities section run career civil servants normally handle work involve school universities.the document explicitly identify justice department consider risk discrimination affirmative action admissions policies phrase use intentional race-based discrimination cut heart program design bring minorities university campuses.supporters critics project say clearly target admissions program give members generally disadvantage group like black latino students edge applicants comparable high test scores.for entire story nyt sis legal colleges universities use race decide factor purpose admission 1997 one brave student take university michigan unfair practice make race student applicant much high priority accomplishments student make admission decisions meanwhile second lawsuit behalf barbara grutter university michigan law also file gratz grutter case end us supreme court.here happen 2003 supreme court decide landmark case gratz v. bollinger grutter v. bollinger several years cir historic victory fifth circuit hopwood v. texas strike use racial preferences state fifth circuit sixth circuit court appeal uphold use racial preferences program university michigan contrary conclusions law reach circuit court supreme court agree hear case.cir successfully urge supreme court strike racial preferences system university michigan college literature science arts court leave door open universities continue use racial preferences narrow circumstances allow university michigan law school continue practice utilize race-based admissions.jennifer gratz apply university michigan undergraduate college literature arts sciences 1994 still high-school senior suburb detroit high-school work math tutor cheerleader serve class congress representative score 25 act 83rd percentile graduate high-school 3.765 gpa despite accomplishments gratz put waitlist ultimately deny admission university.at time gratz apply university analyze prospective applicants grid system gratz combine act/gpa score place outside presumptive admit portion grid use analyze result however university separate grid analyze potential applicants consider underrepresented minorities second grid gratz score place far minimum threshold automatic admission.on merit gratz achievements give competitive chance gain admission university consider gratz favor minority applicant would 100 chance gain acceptance gratz race difference rejection acceptance.two years jennifer gratz reject university michigan undergraduate program barbara grutter apply university michigan school law barbara grutter graduate michigan state university 1978 high honor 3.81 gpa even though score 161 lsat grutter postpone law school career start successful health care information firm.in 1996 age forty-three grutter return pursue ambition attend law school despite life-long record achievement grutter wait-listed eventually deny admission university michigan law school.like undergraduate admissions process law school use grid system evaluate potential candidates admission white female applicant barbara grutter score less chance admission grid however system favor minority applicant score 100 chance gain admission gratz grutter race ultimately difference automatic acceptance automatic rejection.lawsuits filedin 1997 cir file lawsuit behalf jennifer gratz university michigan undergraduate admission system second lawsuit behalf barbara grutter university michigan law school combine cir recent victory hopwood v. texas challenge make substantially likely supreme court would take case.cir argue university violate fourteenth amendment promise equal protection discriminate gratz grutter neither institution could profer compel justification discrimination could argue system racial preferences narrowly tailor avoid harm students like gratz grutter.in light ongoing lawsuits university michigan change admission system undergraduate school abandon grid system favor point system new system application school could score maximum 150 point high number point likely applicant would admitted.the method point allot make race decisive factor admission process university consider applicant underrepresented minority applicant award automatic twenty point one-fifth total point need guarantee admission university weigh factor considerations heavily race result method mean applicant extraordinary artistic talent could award maximum five point talent another applicant could receive twenty point virtue belong certain racial group.this mechanical method assign point base outward characteristics alone prime example shelby steele call disappearance black individual classic essay harper magazine steele lament institutions like university michigan fail treat african americans individuals real accomplishments institutions steel argue care image help individual african-americans.district court victoriescir two case hear different judge district court gratz judge duggan rule grid system jennifer gratz reject unconstitutional point system place since justify mean attain diverse student body.in grutter judge bernard friedman issue direct clear cut victory cir barbara grutter judge friedman hold accordance hopwood v. texas diversity compel government justification discrimination court accordingly strike law school race-based admissions system.the university michigan appeal case divide en banc panel sixth circuit court appeal reverse grutter victory district court hold university justify use racial preferences achieve diversity sixth circuit never issue rule gratz.the supreme courtafter sixth circuit loss grutter cir petition supreme court ask hear case present urgent question constitutional law court agree hand decisions june 2003.chief justice rehnquist write court gratz strike university michigan undergraduate admissions system justice rehnquist reason point system assign point base outward characteristics treat applicants manner prize race individual accomplishments failure university treat applicants individuals constitute violation fourteenth amendment.in grutter however justice sandra day connor uphold law school admissions system reason foster diversity high education compel government interest justice connor argue distinction could make mechanical racial preferences use undergraduate system racial preferences employ law school essentially away strict scrutiny analysis racial classifications require justice connor defer law school determine whether racial preferences necessary court however limit legality racial preferences period twenty-five years government long compel justification foster diversity.justice clarence thomas dissent rule agree racial preferences would unconstitutional twenty-five years however also argue unconstitutional twenty-five years also unconstitutional today either constitution forbid use racial discrimination not.while combine case gratz grutter fail end government use racial preferences achieve minor victory place limit government may use preferences.gratz grutter end story cir client jennifer gratz late able end racial preferences university michigan lead effort pass amendment michigan constitution ban use racial preferences activist group challenge constitutionality amendment cir come aid jennifer gratz schuette v. bamn cir successfully defend amendment supreme court read case here.furthermore almost twelve years supreme court decide gratz grutter issue back supreme court case fisher v. university texas cir file two amicus brief supreme court case urge supreme court apply strict scrutiny justice connor fail apply grutter initial opinion justice kennedy agree cir rule even grutter court may punt apply rigid constitutional analysis remand fifth circuit case supreme court read cir ongoing efforts challenge racial preferences fisher case status partial win supreme court strike um undergraduate admissions system uphold law school system.via cir colleges may force stop push qualify white students back line .. doj take affirmative action college admissions