Background
In November 2014, an organization called Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. (SFFA) sued Harvard University, claiming that its race-conscious holistic admissions policy discriminates against Asian Americans. It asked the court to prohibit Harvard from using race as a factor in its admissions process. SFFA is a project of Edward Blum, a conservative strategist that uses litigation to destroy the hard-fought, race-conscious victories of the Civil Rights era, such as affirmative action and preclearance requirements under the Voting Rights Act.
This case against Harvard is the first time that a private university's affirmative action policy has been challenged. It is also the first time that Asian Americans have been overtly recruited and positioned as the primary challengers of a race-conscious admissions policy.
In December 2016, Asian Americans Advancing Justice - Los Angeles joined the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the Laywer’s Committee for Civil Rights and Economic Justice, and the pro bono law firm of Arnold & Porter to represent a diverse group of prospective and current Harvard students who support affirmative action and have been granted special status as “amici-plus.”As such, they have the opportunity to submit evidence and provide oral argument on dispositive motions. We currently represent 8 prospective and current Asian American and Pacific Islander students who are a part of this group.
Court Documents
Stories from Students
Sally Chen
- "I’m An Asian-American Harvard Student — Here's Why I Testified In Support Of Affirmative Action"
- "Defending Diversity on Campus"
Thang Diep
Jason Fong
Jang Lee
Daniel Lu
Itzel Vasquez-Rodriguez
The Harvard Crimson
