Supreme Court Revisits University of Texas Race-in-Admissions Case

Jess Bravin & Douglas Belkin:

The Supreme Court revisits affirmative action in college admissions Wednesday, and if recent history is a guide, the justices are likely to pare back the use of racial preferences to increase minority enrollment at public universities.

Two years ago, the court passed up a chance to undo affirmative action at the University of Texas, instead asking a lower court to decide whether the Austin campus adequately justified classifying individual applicants by race. Now the case is back at the high court. Under Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices have, on issues such as campaign finance and voting rights, taken a partial step in an initial case that later paves the way for a more consequential opinion that shifts the law to the right.