Gonzalez v. Southern Methodist University

536 F.2d 1071 (1976)

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Gonzalez v. Southern Methodist University

United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
536 F.2d 1071 (1976)

  • Written by Mike Begovic, JD

Facts

Guadalupe Gonzalez (plaintiff) applied to the School of Law of Southern Methodist University (SMU) (defendant), a private law school, but her application was denied. Gonzalez’s application did not qualify for automatic admission based on her grade point average and LSAT score. SMU had a policy whereby the applications of minority candidates that did not qualify for automatic admission underwent additional review to look for additional factors and negate the effects of possible cultural bias in LSAT testing. Gonzalez’s application underwent such a review. Believing that she was denied admission on the basis of her race, Gonzalez sought a preliminary injunction, and she brought claims under 42 U.S.C. §§ 1981-83. Gonzalez also attempted to get approval to proceed with the case as a class-action suit. A trial court denied Gonzalez’s request for a preliminary injunction on the ground that her suit did not have a strong likelihood of success on the merits. Gonzalez appealed.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Tjoflat, J.)

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