Standing with Harvard in admissions case
Harvard-affiliated student and alumni organizations, prospective Harvard students, experts in law and education, and peer institutions voiced their support for Harvard’s whole-person admissions process on Monday. The statements, representing more than 70 groups and individuals, were included in a series of legal filings that called for the court to enter summary judgment — or issue an immediate decision — in the University’s favor in a pending lawsuit challenging how the College selects students. The plaintiff in the lawsuit is Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA), a group founded by Edward Blum, the architect of numerous lawsuits in recent years attacking civil rights safeguards. Last month Harvard and SFFA filed motions for the court to decide the case now, preempting a trial that is currently scheduled for October. The amicus briefs, or “friend of the court,” legal papers and declarations submitted Monday in U.S. District Court in Boston were among the latest filings in a case...