Expert: Affirmative action enriches higher ed

In the run-up to the United States Supreme Court issuing a ruling on affirmative action, an expert explains the practice’s role in higher education.

The Supreme Court heard arguments in the fall over the use of affirmative action in admissions at Harvard and the University of North Carolina and is expected to release decisions in the cases in the coming months.

Below, Cara McClellan of the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School talks about how the practice has benefitted institutions and how the diversity it brings has helped colleges and universities fulfill their educational missions.

McClellan is the founding director and practice associate professor of the Advocacy for Racial and Civil (ARC) Justice Clinic, the Penn Carey’s newest in-house clinic, which provides students with hands-on experience working in civil rights litigation and policy advocacy to combat systemic racism.