A discussion on affirmative action in the corporate world, featuring Anthony Michael Kreis, a law professor, and Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson, a Supreme Court reporter. Topics include a lawsuit targeting a venture capital fund, disagreement among Asian American students at Harvard, the slow start of the Supreme Court next term, the rise of the shadow docket, potential impact on agency funding, and upcoming blockbuster cases.
Conservative activist Edward Blum is now targeting affirmative action in the corporate world, filing a lawsuit against a venture capital firm supporting black women-owned small businesses.
The Supreme Court is expected to have a slow start in its upcoming term, hearing fewer cases compared to previous years, while the number of emergency cases in the shadow docket has increased.
Deep dives
Edward Blum's Lawsuits Against Affirmative Action
Conservative activist Edward Blum, known for his successful challenges against affirmative action in college admissions, is now targeting the corporate world. Blum has filed a lawsuit against an Atlanta-based venture capital firm called Fearless Fund, which supports black women-owned small businesses. He accuses the fund of engaging in unlawful racial discrimination. Blum's strategy involves finding sympathetic plaintiffs to challenge race-conscious programming and build an infrastructure to support long-term litigation strategies.
Challenge to Affirmative Action in Grants for Black Women Entrepreneurs
Edward Blum's latest lawsuit specifically targets an Atlanta-based venture capital fund that awards $20,000 grants to black women entrepreneurs. Blum and other critics argue that such targeted investment in minority-owned businesses is unlawful and violates federal law. The lawsuit challenges the legality of this program, raising questions about whether a small grant funding initiative can be considered a contractual relationship. The outcome could have implications for other minority-focused programs, including scholarship opportunities and subcontract preferences.
Slow Start and Shadow Docket Cases at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is expected to have a slow start in its upcoming term, hearing only six cases in October compared to the usual number. This is part of a larger trend of the Court deciding fewer cases in recent years. In contrast, the shadow docket, which includes emergency cases typically handled without full briefing and argument, has seen an increase in cases. The Court will hear cases challenging the funding mechanism of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and a redistricting case in South Carolina. The outcome of these cases could have significant implications for agency powers, democracy, and the balance of power between political parties.
Anthony Michael Kreis, a Professor at the Georgia State University College of Law, discusses how the man who led the years-long legal actions against affirmative action in colleges, is now targeting affirmative action in the corporate world. Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson, Bloomberg Law Supreme Court Reporter, discusses why the court will be getting off to a slow start next term. June Grasso hosts.