Do law schools use affirmative action??

[mikecerang]

<p>Do law schools consider race when viewing an applicant? Are law schools striving for diversity as much as undergrad colleges are?</p>

[stacy]

<p>yes, most schools ask you your race and the diversity you bring to the student body can be a plus factor (however, state schools in Michigan and California cannot use race as a criterion for admissions).</p>

<p>Law schools are definitely striving for diverse student bodies, for a variety of reasons.</p>

[dter]

<p>State schools like UMich still take URM status into account. They just don’t assign a point value to it courtesy of Grutter v. Bollinger. In general, URM can count for almost a 10 point boost to the LSAT, although the schools don’t disclose it as such and resort to saying that it’s a factor that they’ll take into consideration.</p>

[bluedevilmike]

<p>Justice Souter’s dissent from the companion case Gratz v. Bollinger:</p>

<p>

[Michigan Law School’s admissions officers] get their racially diverse results without saying directly what they are doing or why they are doing it. In contrast, Michigan [undergrad] states its purpose directly and, if this were a doubtful case for me, I would be tempted to give Michigan an extra point of its own for its frankness. Equal protection cannot become an exercise in which the winners are the ones who hide the ball.

</p>

[stacy]

<p>dter, since Grutter and Gratz were decided, a state referendum in Michigan ended the use of race- and gender-based affirmative action in college admissions. For more information, see:</p>

<p>[News:</a> Michigan Votes Down Affirmative Action - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/08/michigan]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/08/michigan)
[Michigan</a> Law Review](<a href=“http://www.michiganlawreview.org/firstimpressions/vol105/MCRI.htm]Michigan”>http://www.michiganlawreview.org/firstimpressions/vol105/MCRI.htm)</p>

<p>A similar referendum passed in California. You are correct though that state schools in other states do take race into account, and that it can be a significant advantage for applicants who are underrepresented minorities.</p>

[sallyawp]

<p>At this point in time, due to the mentioned Supreme Court cases, no schools in any states may establish quotas or use other similar race-based admissions criteria in their decision-making process. However, most schools do take URM status (as well as other factors like geographic origin, socioeconomic status, etc.) into account in making admissions decisions in order to create a well-rounded class. This is allowable so long as there are no pre-set quotas used in admissions.</p>