DeFunis v. Odegaard
United States Supreme Court
416 U.S. 312 (1974)
- Written by Mary Pfotenhauer, JD
Facts
Marco DeFunis (plaintiff) challenged the admissions process of the University of Washington Law School (defendant), claiming that the University's admissions policies and criteria discriminated against him on the basis of his race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. DeFunis sought, and was awarded, an injunction in state court requiring his admission to the University. The Washington Supreme Court reversed, but the judgment was stayed pending DeFunis’s appeal to the United States Supreme Court. At the time the matter was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, DeFunis was in his final term of law school, and the University agreed that DeFunis’s registration for his final term would not be canceled regardless of the Court’s decision.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per Curiam)
Dissent (Brennan, J.)
Dissent (Douglas, J.)
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