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Chronology of Key Rulings
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| Oct. 14, 1997: | Lawsuit filed against University of Michigan regarding undergraduate admissions process. Jennifer Gratz and Patrick Hamacher v. Lee Bollinger, James J. Duderstadt, the University of Michigan, and the College of Literature, Arts and Sciences. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. (Judge Patrick J. Duggan)
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| Dec. 3, 1997: | Lawsuit filed against University of Michigan regarding Law School admissions process. Barbara Grutter v Bollinger, Lehman, Shields, Regents of the University of Michigan and University of Michigan Law School. U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan. (Judge Bernard Friedman)
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| Feb. 5, 1998: | Motion to intervene in the Gratz case filed by high school students of color and their parents, Citizens for Affirmative Action's Preservation (CAAP), the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the ACLU Fund of Michigan, and the Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund. The motion to intervene was denied by Judge Duggan.
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| March 26, 1998: | A motion to intervene in the Grutter case filed by University of Michigan undergraduate students, college students at other universities, high school students and their parents, University of Michigan law school students, United For Equality and Affirmative Action, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action by Any Means Necessary, and Law Students for Affirmative Action. The motion to intervene was denied by Judge Friedman.
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| Aug. 10, 1999: | The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the trial court's order and allowed intervention in both cases. Both courts allowed additional time for discovery. Cases delayed for about a year.
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| July 17, 2000: | General Motors Corporation filed amicus briefs in both the Gratz and Grutter cases, about the value of a diverse workforce.* |
| Oct 16, 2000: | Twenty Fortune 500 companies filed an amicus brief in the Gratz case.* |
| Nov. 16, 2000: | Oral argument was heard on cross motions for summary judgment in the Gratz case. |
| Dec. 13, 2000: | Judge Duggan issued his opinion in the Gratz case, stating that diversity is a compelling governmental interest and that the University's current undergraduate admissions program meets the standards set by the Supreme Court in Bakke. He also ruled that the admissions programs in 1995-1998 were unconstitutional. Both plaintiff and defendants filed appeals with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
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| Dec. 22, 2000: | Judge Friedman heard oral argument on motions for summary judgment in the Grutter case; he decided to hold a limited trial.
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| Jan. 16, 2001: | A limited trial began on questions relating to the specific operation of the Law School admissions policy. The trial ran through February 16, 2001.
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| Feb. 26, 2001: | Judge Duggan dismissed the undergraduate intervenors' claim that the University was justified in using race as a factor in admissions to remedy the present effects of past discrimination.
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| March 27, 2001: | Judge Friedman issued his opinion in the Grutter case, finding that the law does not permit colleges and universities to use race in admissions. He further found that even if the law permitted race-conscious admissions, the Law School's policy weighs race too heavily. He issued an injunction enjoining the Law School from using race as a factor in admissions. The Court of Appeals issued a stay of the injunction allowing the Law School to continue their policy while the appeal proceeds. Judge Friedman also denied the intervenor's claims.
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| May 30, 2001: | U.S. Supreme Court refused to review University of Washington case. That case (decided by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals) upheld the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions.
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| May 31, 2001: | A number of amicus briefs were filed with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in the Michigan litigation, including the General Motors Corporation, 33 Fortune 500 companies, the American Bar Association, the United Auto Workers and the American Council on Education.*
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| June 13, 2001: | Business, education and social justice organizations filed amicus briefs in the Gratz case.*
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| June 26, 2001: | Supreme Court refused to review the Hopwood case. That case (decided by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals) struck down the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions.
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| Oct. 16, 2001: | The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the plaintiffs' motion for hearing oral arguments en banc; they were scheduled to be heard before all of the 6th Circuit judges on December 6, 2001.
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| Nov. 9, 2001: | University of Georgia announced it would not seek Supreme Court review of a challenge to its race-conscious admissions policy. University of Georgia admissions policy was struck down by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The court did not decide whether the law permits race-conscious admissions.
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| *See http://www.umich.edu/~urel/admissions/gru_amicus/ for a complete list of amicus briefs filed in both cases. | |
December 4, 2001 |
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Site last updated: February 4, 2002 Copyright © 1997–2002 Regents of The University of Michigan. |