Date: Nov. 28, 2001
Hopwood v. Texas: Timeline of Events
In 1996, the U.S. Court of Appeals prohibited UT
Law from using race as one of many admissions criteria. This timeline
outlines the history of the case:
- 1978: U.S. Supreme Court rules that universities may consider race
in admissions, to maintain diverse enrollment or to remedy past discrimination
(Bakke v. Regents of University of California).
- 1983: To comply with federal desegregation order, State of Texas
commits to affirmative action in professional school admissions and to goals
for minority enrollment.
- 1992: Cheryl Hopwood and others sue the University of Texas, claiming
that they were denied admission to the Law School because of it preferred
black and Mexican-American applicants.
- 1994: U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks rules that Law School may consider
race in admissions, to maintain diverse enrollment or to remedy past discrimination.
- March 1996: The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals holds
that any consideration of race, even as one factor among many, is unconstitutional.
- June 1996: U.S. Supreme Court declines to review the decision. All
affirmative action ends in admission to public universities in Texas.
- March 1998: U.S. District Judge Sparks finds that none of the plaintiffs
would have been admitted to the Law School in a color-blind admissions system.
Judge Sparks enters a formal order implementing Court of Appeals' opinion,
prohibiting all future consideration of race in admissions.
- December 2000: The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals finds
that plaintiffs would not have been admitted; reaffirms its earlier opinion
prohibiting all future consideration of race in admissions.
- April 2001: The State of Texas petitions the U.S. Supreme Court to
review the decision.
- May 2001: The U.S. Supreme Court allows the University of Washington
to continue using affirmative action when it declines to review the 9th
U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals' decision that allows the use of race as one
factor in admissions.
- June 2001: Supreme Court declines to review decision of 5th Circut
Court of Appeals in Hopwood v. Texas.
- July 2001: U.S. District Judge Sparks denies request for further
proceedings, thus precluding further appeal on the merits of affirmative action.
- October 2001: U.S. District Judge Sparks awards supplemental attorneys
fees to the plaintiffs.
- November 27, 2001: Both sides announce they will not appeal the award
of fees.
Source: Professor Doug Laycock, University of Texas School of Law, 2001. For
more information contact Professor Laycock at
dlaycock@mail.law.utexas.edu.
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