MEDIA RELEASE: U.S. Supreme Court to hear oral arguments in SFFA v. UNC

RALEIGH (October 27, 2022) – On Monday, October 31, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. University of North Carolina (UNC) and SFFA v. President and Fellows of Harvard College. The two cases filed by SFFA seek to upend over 40 years of legal precedent recognizing the important educational benefits of diversity and permitting race-conscious admissions policies.

The North Carolina Justice Center, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and pro bono counsel, Relman Colfax PLLC, filed a merits brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in July on behalf of a diverse group of Student-Intervenors. The brief reiterated the critical role that race-conscious admissions plays in achieving the educational benefits of on-campus diversity. It urged the Court to uphold UNC’s holistic admissions policy and was supported with many amicus briefs submitted by groups representing a variety of sectors and stakeholders.

In recognition of the important perspective represented by the Student-Intervenors, the Court has granted them ten minutes of oral argument on Monday. A live audio stream will be available at 10:00 a.m. and can be found here.

“The experience of our clients clearly demonstrates that the educational benefits of diversity are not being fully realized on UNC’s campus,” said Sarah Laws, Leslie J. Winner Public Interest and Civil Rights Fellow at the NC Justice Center. “While much progress has been made in the short time since UNC first admitted Black undergraduate students in 1955, race-conscious admissions remains an important part of the holistic process that allows UNC to admit a diverse class of students. The educational benefits that result from this diverse student body serve all UNC students.”

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