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person1992–1996

Cheryl Hopwood

Disciplines:
jurisprudence/legal theory
civil rights

Summary

Cheryl Hopwood was a white Texas applicant who successfully sued the University of Texas Law School, arguing its race-conscious admissions program violated the Equal Protection Clause.

Core Contribution

Hopwood v. Texas (1996) was the Fifth Circuit decision that temporarily banned race-conscious admissions in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, making Hopwood a central figure in the national affirmative action debate.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • Race-neutral admissions challenge (argued a high-scoring white applicant was displaced by weaker minority candidates)
  • Fifth Circuit victory (her case briefly outlawed affirmative action across three states)
  • Diversity rationale rejection (the Fifth Circuit declined to follow Powell's Bakke opinion on educational diversity)

Historical Influences

Lewis F. Powell Jr. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke

Intellectual Lineage

Equal Protection jurisprudenceAnti-discrimination law

Contemporaries & Peers

Barbara Grutter Jennifer Gratz

Minds Influenced

Barbara Grutter Jennifer Gratz

Intellectual Posterity

Hopwood v. Texas rulingTexas Top 10% Plan

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Cheryl Hopwood

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