Gratz, Hamacher, Grutter v. The University of Michigan
•In the Grutter (Law School) case, the supreme court ruled that race could be used as a criterion to further the compelling interest in obtaining the educational
benefits of a diverse student body. It was ruled sufficiently narrowly tailored to be constitutional.
•In the Gratz (undergraduate) case, the supreme court ruled that a point based system which took race into account was too mechanical and therefore unconstitutional. In this case, it was ruled that diversity was not a compelling state interest.
The two combined cases generated a total of thirteen opinions; seven in the law school case and six in the undergraduate one. All nine justices on the Supreme Court at the time wrote opinions in at least once of the cases; some wrote separately in both.
- 1997--Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher filed suit against the University of Michigan after being denied undergraduate admission (in 1995 and 1997, respectively)
- They alleged that their equal protections rights under the 14th amendment were being violated
- The case was expanded to a class action suit in December of 1998
- A second lawsuit was filed in December of 1997 by Barbara Grutter upon her not being accepted to the University’s law school
- Thiscase was expanded to a class action lawsuit in December of 1999
•In the Grutter (Law School) case, the supreme court ruled that race could be used as a criterion to further the compelling interest in obtaining the educational
benefits of a diverse student body. It was ruled sufficiently narrowly tailored to be constitutional.
•In the Gratz (undergraduate) case, the supreme court ruled that a point based system which took race into account was too mechanical and therefore unconstitutional. In this case, it was ruled that diversity was not a compelling state interest.
The two combined cases generated a total of thirteen opinions; seven in the law school case and six in the undergraduate one. All nine justices on the Supreme Court at the time wrote opinions in at least once of the cases; some wrote separately in both.