DeFunis v. Odegaard Case Brief Summary | Law Case Explained
Summary
TLDRIn the case of De Funis v. Odegaard, Marco De Funis, a white applicant, sued the University of Washington Law School for alleged racial discrimination in its admissions process. The school categorized applicants into racial minorities and general groups, using different criteria for admission. De Funis, with a borderline GPA, was waitlisted while minority applicants with lower averages were admitted. The trial court ruled in his favor, but the Washington Supreme Court reversed the decision, upholding the law school's policy. The case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, highlighting the complexities of affirmative action in higher education.
Takeaways
- 📚 Marco De Funus applied to the University of Washington Law School in 1971.
- 📉 The school received 1600 applications but could only accept 275 applicants.
- 🗂️ Applicants were divided into two groups: racial minorities and general applicants.
- 📊 A predicted first-year average was created using GPAs and LSAT scores for general applicants.
- 🚫 Those with an average of 77 in the general group were most likely admitted, while those below 74.5 were rejected.
- 🔢 De Funus had an average of 76.23, which was below the admission threshold for general applicants.
- 🏆 Minority applicants were evaluated on different criteria and not compared directly to general applicants.
- 📉 37 minority applicants were admitted, all but one had lower averages than De Funus.
- ❌ 30 minority applicants had averages below 74.5, which would have resulted in rejection if in the general pool.
- 🔄 De Funus was placed on the waiting list and later denied admission, leading him to sue the law school.
- 🏛️ De Funus claimed the admissions practice discriminated against him on the basis of race, violating the 14th Amendment.
- 🏢 The trial court initially found in favor of De Funus and ordered his admission, but this was reversed on appeal.
- 🏛️ The Washington Supreme Court held that the admissions policies did not violate the constitution.
- 📜 The United States Supreme Court stayed the judgment and granted certiorari for further review.
Q & A
What was the name of the case involving Marco De Funis and the University of Washington Law School?
-The case was known as De Funis versus Odegaard.
In what year did Marco De Funis apply to the University of Washington Law School?
-Marco De Funis applied to the University of Washington Law School in 1971.
How many applications did the University of Washington Law School receive in 1971?
-The school received 1600 applications in 1971.
What was the acceptance rate of the University of Washington Law School in 1971?
-The school could accept 275 applicants out of the 1600 who applied.
How did the admissions committee categorize applicants for the University of Washington Law School in 1971?
-The admissions committee sorted applicants into two groups: one for racial minorities and another for general applicants containing everyone else.
In which group was Marco De Funis placed by the admissions committee?
-Marco De Funis was placed in the general applicants group.
What was the predicted first-year average for general applicants with the highest likelihood of admission?
-In the group of general applicants, those with an average of 77 had the highest likelihood of admission.
What was Marco De Funis' predicted first-year average, and how did it compare to the admission threshold?
-Marco De Funis had a predicted first-year average of 76.23, which was below the threshold of 77 for the highest likelihood of admission.
How were minority applicants evaluated by the admissions committee, and were they compared to general applicants?
-Minority applicants were considered regardless of average and were not compared directly to general applicants; the committee evaluated a different range of criteria.
How many minority applicants were admitted to the University of Washington Law School, and what was their average compared to De Funis'?
-37 minority applicants were admitted, all but one had averages lower than De Funis', and 30 had averages below 74.5.
What was the outcome of De Funis' lawsuit against the law school for alleged racial discrimination?
-The trial court found for De Funis and ordered the law school to admit him, but the Washington Supreme Court reversed the decision, holding that the admissions policies did not violate the constitution.
What action did the United States Supreme Court take regarding the case after the Washington Supreme Court's decision?
-The United States Supreme Court stayed the judgment pending its decision and granted certiorari.
Outlines
🏛️ Law School Admissions Discrimination Case
The script outlines the case of Marco De Funus versus the University of Washington Law School, which centers on alleged racial discrimination in admissions. In 1971, the university sorted applicants into two groups: racial minorities and general applicants. De Funus, a general applicant with a predicted first-year average of 76.23, was placed on the waiting list and ultimately denied admission. Meanwhile, 37 minority applicants with lower averages were admitted without direct comparison to the general pool. De Funus sued, claiming a violation of the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The trial court sided with De Funus, but the Washington Supreme Court reversed the decision, and the case was taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Law School Admissions
💡University of Washington
💡Admissions Committee
💡Racial Minorities Group
💡General Applicants Group
💡GPA and LSAT Scores
💡Predicted First-Year Average
💡Waiting List
💡Discrimination
💡Equal Protection Clause
💡Trial Court and Supreme Court
Highlights
Marco De Funus applied to the University of Washington Law School in 1971.
The school received 1,600 applications but could only accept 275 applicants.
Applicants were divided into two groups: racial minorities and general applicants.
Defunus was placed in the general applicants group.
A predicted first-year average was created by combining GPAs and LSAT scores.
In the general applicants group, those with an average of 77 most likely got in.
Applicants with averages below 74.5 in the general group were rejected.
Defunus had a predicted average of 76.23.
All minority applicants were considered regardless of average and not compared to general applicants.
Different criteria were used to evaluate minority applicants.
37 minority applicants were admitted, all but one had averages lower than Defunus.
30 minority applicants had averages below 74.5 and would have been rejected in the general pool.
Defunus was placed on the waiting list but ultimately denied admission.
Defunus sued the law school, claiming its admissions practice discriminated against him on the basis of race.
The trial court found in favor of Defunus and ordered the law school to admit him.
Defunus began attending classes in the fall of 1971 while the law school's appeal proceeded.
The Washington Supreme Court reversed the trial court's decision, holding that the admissions policies did not violate the constitution.
The United States Supreme Court stayed the judgment pending its decision and granted certiorari.
Transcripts
defunus versus odegaard concerns a topic
dear to the hearts of many law students
law school admissions marco de funus
applied to the university of washington
law school in 1971.
the school received 1600 applications it
could accept
275 applicants the admissions committee
sorted applicants into two groups
one racial minorities group and one
general applicants group containing
everyone else
defunus was in the general applicants
group
by combining applicants gpas and lsat
scores
the school created a predicted first
year average
in the group of general applicants those
with an average of 77
most likely got in those below 74.5
were rejected defunus had an average of
76.23
all minority applications were
considered regardless of average
and none were compared directly to the
general applicants
the committee evaluated a different
range of criteria
37 minority applicants were admitted
all but one had averages lower than
defunisus
30 had averages below 74.5 and would
have been rejected
had they been considered in the general
applicant's pool
defunus was placed on the waiting list
but ultimately the school denied him
admission
defunus sued the law school claiming
that its admissions practice
discriminated against him on account of
race violating the equal protection
clause of the 14th amendment
the trial court found four defunus and
ordered the law school to admit him
defunus began attending classes in the
fall of 1971
while the law school's appeal proceeded
the washington supreme court reversed
holding that the admissions policies
didn't violate the constitution
the united states supreme court stayed
this judgment pending its decision
and granted cert
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