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person1995–2003

Jennifer Gratz

Disciplines:
law
civil rights

Summary

Jennifer Gratz was a white Michigan applicant who sued the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions program, leading to Gratz v. Bollinger (2003).

Core Contribution

Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) struck down the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions point system as unconstitutional because it awarded automatic bonus points for race, lacking the individualized consideration required by Bakke.

Key Spikes & Highlights

  • Point system invalidation (Michigan awarded 20 of 150 admissions points automatically for minority race — ruled unconstitutional)
  • Mechanistic vs. holistic distinction (automatic points fail the individualized consideration standard; law school holistic review passes)
  • Proposition 2 campaign (after her legal victory, Gratz led the Michigan ballot initiative banning affirmative action in state institutions)
  • Paired ruling with Grutter (decided the same day, the two cases collectively redefined the permissible scope of race-conscious admissions)

Historical Influences

Cheryl Hopwood

Intellectual Lineage

Equal Protection Clause jurisprudence Anti-discrimination litigation

Contemporaries & Peers

Cheryl Hopwood Barbara Grutter

Minds Influenced

No recorded minds influenced.

Intellectual Posterity

Gratz v. Bollinger precedent

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