Constitutional Law October 26, 2004

1
Constitutional LawOctober 26, 2004

• Equal Protection Due Process
• Equal Protection (Classifications)
• Other Suspect Classifications
• Disparate Impact
• Affirmative Action
• Introduction
• Uncertain Path
• Strict Scrutiny
• Grutter
• Gender AA

2
Recap

• The Problem of Disparate Impact
• Must Prove Intent
• Washington v. Davis
• Examples
• Exceptions (Statutory Batson)
• Proving Intent (Arlington Hts.)
• Impact Itself
• Direct Evidence
• Irregularities
• Bad Fit?

3
G. Affirmative Action1. Introduction

• Contentious
• Arguments For Against
• Political Process vs. Individual Rts (link)
• Legal Issues
• Level of Scrutiny
• What AA Programs Might Survive It
• Current Status
• SS Applies
• Remedial Diversity AA May Survive

4
2. Uncertain Path

• Bakke (78) (4-1-4)
• Med School Admissions
• Set Aside Invalid As Factor OK
• Fullilove (80) (3-3-3)
• Federal Contracts
• Set Aside OK
• Relevance of Congressional Power
• Wygant (1987) (3-1-1-3-1)
• Teacher Layoff
• Minority Preference Invalid
• Rejection of Role Model Theory

5
3. Strict Scrutiny a. Croson

• Municipal Contracts
• Set Aside Invalid
• Majority Embraces SS
• Purpose -- Remedial is Compelling
• Participant in Past Discrimination
• Statistical evidence must match
• Hearsay anecdotal evidence not enough
• Narrow Tailoring
• Must be tied to past discrimination
• Impossible to assess here

6
b. Adarand

• Is Federal AA Different?
• Suggestions in Fullilove
• Fullilove distinguished in Croson
• Metro Broadcasting distinguished Croson
• Adarand
• Overruled Metro Broadcasting
• SS for Federal AA

7
4. Grutter

• Michigan Admissions Policy
• Treatment of Bakke
• Application of SS
• Diversity is Compelling
• Individualized Review Narrowly Tailored
• Contrast Gratz

8
e. Discussion of Grutter

• Diversity as Compelling Interest
• Higher Education AA
• Other Contexts?
• Really SS? Consider Dissents
• Elite law school compelling? (Thomas)
• Really as Quota (Rehnquist)
• Justice OConnor
• Key Vote
• Movement Toward the Middle?

9
5. Gender AA

• Probably IS
• Prior Reverse Discrimination Cases
• Logic of Croson and Adarand
• Mixed AA Programs
• Gender AA easier than racial AA
• Some courts apply SS to both
• Is there a way out for the Court?

10
Breakdown of 3 Tiers

• Traditional Levels
• Clear And Distinct
• Nothing in Between
• Modern Trends
• Rational Basis w/ Bite
• Divergent IS
• Relaxed AA
• Parallels in FR
• Justice Marshalls Sliding Scale

11
Affirmative Action
Racial Classification
Burdened Class
Beneficiary Class

Minority
White
Victims of Past Discrimination Lack Political
Power
Beneficiaries of Past Discrimination Have
Political Power
No Political Process Problems
Individual Discrimination
Stigma Stereotypes Immutable
back