{"id":4020,"date":"2023-12-31T10:00:16","date_gmt":"2023-12-31T15:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/?p=4020"},"modified":"2024-03-17T19:34:40","modified_gmt":"2024-03-17T23:34:40","slug":"legal-viability-of-fellowships-scotus-heads-in-a-troubling-direction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/2023\/12\/legal-viability-of-fellowships-scotus-heads-in-a-troubling-direction\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Viability of Fellowships: SCOTUS Heads in a Troubling Direction"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-3681 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/KevinCase_Myra-Klarman-214x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/KevinCase_Myra-Klarman-214x300.jpg 214w, https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/KevinCase_Myra-Klarman.jpg 714w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px\" \/>Since the Supreme Court\u2019s June 29, 2023 decision in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students for Fair Admissions (SFA) v. Harvard<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">600 U.S. 181 (2023), hiring practices that use race as a factor have come under increasing scrutiny. Orchestra fellowship programs, which many ICSOM orchestras have implemented, are no exception. Even before <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, musicians have asked whether fellowship programs\u2014which often prefer or are even limited to applicants of certain races\u2014are legal. Before <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the answer would have been, \u201cprobably, depending on the structure of the program.\u201d After <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the answer is, \u201cmaybe not for much longer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article has three parts: an overview of the law regarding so-called affirmative action programs; how that law applies to orchestra fellowships; and the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision itself, along with its fallout, and what it means for the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Affirmative Action Hiring Plans<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The analysis for determining whether a hiring program that uses race as a factor is legal begins with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII prohibits discrimination on the basis of race regarding hiring, firing, compensation, terms and conditions of employment, or depriving workers and job applicants of employment opportunities. It applies to unions as well as employers, including the agreements unions make with employers. Title VII also applies to \u201capprenticeship or other training or retraining, including on-the-job training programs.\u201d Orchestra fellowships fit that definition.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On its face, Title VII would seem to prohibit any hiring program that takes race into account at all. But Title VII did not arise in a vacuum. It was enacted at the height of the civil rights movement, in response to decades of Jim Crow\u2014which followed centuries of slavery\u2014and in the face of longstanding discrimination against women and other groups. One cannot ignore that the very purpose of Title VII was to address the legacy of discrimination suffered by marginalized groups.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accordingly, the Supreme Court long ago determined that a private employer does not violate Title VII by voluntarily using an affirmative action hiring plan (with some caveats discussed below). Note that there is no precise definition of an \u201caffirmative action\u201d plan, but they are based on an underlying assumption that in the absence of discrimination\u2014including structural or individual biases\u2014the workforce would naturally reflect the gender, racial, and ethnic profile of the labor pool from which the employer selects its workers. If that is not happening, then the employer may take affirmative steps to ensure equality of opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Supreme Court first addressed the issue in 1979 in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">United Steelworkers of America v. Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 443 U.S. 193 (1979). In <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a collectively bargained affirmative action plan reserved 50% of the openings in an in-plant craft training program for Black workers. A White worker sued. The district court and court of appeals found in favor of the White worker because Title VII on its face prohibited any discrimination on the basis of race, period. But the Supreme Court reversed this decision, holding that in light of the \u201cconspicuous racial imbalance\u201d between the percentage of the employer\u2019s Black employees (1.83%) and that of Black workers in the local labor force (39%), and given \u201ctraditional patterns of racial segregation and hierarchy,\u201d Title VII did not prohibit the training program\u2019s reservation of spots for Black workers. Justice Brennan, writing for the majority in the 5\u20134 decision, noted that it would be \u201cironic indeed\u201d if a law intended to address \u201ccenturies of racial injustice\u201d were instead used to preclude efforts to remedy that legacy of discrimination in employment. (Translation: Title VII was not intended for White people to complain they are victims of discrimination.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Court further explained why the craft training program passed legal muster: it did not \u201cunnecessarily trammel the interests of\u201d White workers because the program was temporary (it would end when the percentage of Black workers more closely reflected the labor pool); it did not require that any White worker would be fired and replaced with a Black worker; and it did not \u201ccreate an absolute bar to the advancement of white employees\u201d because only half the openings were reserved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1982 in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnson v. Transportation Agency<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 480 U.S. 616 (1987)<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the Court further addressed affirmative action in the context of an employer that took gender into account for promotions to a job category in which none of the 238 positions was held by a woman. The Court followed <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in holding that the plan did not violate Title VII, explicitly relying on what it found to be the law\u2019s remedial purpose, \u201celiminating the effects of discrimination in the workplace.\u201d In a twist, though, the Court held that for a job requiring \u201cspecial training\u201d or skills, the relevant comparison is not with the local labor pool, but with \u201cthose in the labor force who possess the relevant qualifications.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Out of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnson <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and a host of lower court decisions that followed, a three-part test emerged: an affirmative action plan (1) must factually show a \u201cmanifest imbalance\u201d between the portion of minorities or women in the workplace and the applicable labor force (noting that \u201capplicable\u201d does not mean \u201clocal\u201d for jobs requiring special skills or training); (2) must be temporary, and should end when the imbalance is corrected; and (3) must not \u201cunnecessarily trammel\u201d the rights of non-beneficiaries of the plan (e.g., White people or men) by requiring their discharge or creating an \u201cabsolute bar\u201d to their advancement. The third element is often the most contested; in particular, hiring programs that are completely closed to non-beneficiaries are often found to \u201cunnecessarily trammel\u201d their rights.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Orchestra Fellowships<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No two orchestra fellowship programs are identical. Typically, though, there are common elements. Fellows are intended to be drawn from populations that have been historically-underrepresented in symphony orchestras. Their activities include performing with the orchestra for a certain number of programs or weeks, receiving coaching from orchestra members, taking mock auditions, and sometimes engaging in community outreach activities. They are paid the same per-service rate as regular members when performing with the orchestra. Most receive at least some benefits. In addition, it is usually clear (whether in a bargained agreement or mutual understanding) that when performing with the orchestra, fellows are additive to the complement\u2014they don\u2019t replace bargaining unit musicians. (Whether subs or extras can be replaced by a fellow is a thornier question.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One major point of variation between fellowship programs, and probably the most critical from a legal standpoint, is who is eligible to apply. Some fellowship programs in prominent orchestras state on their websites and downloadable applications that only applicants who actually belong to populations historically underrepresented in symphony orchestras are eligible. Those populations are typically defined as \u201cincluding, but not limited to,\u201d musicians who identify as Black, Latino, or Indigenous. Other orchestras, however, state that the program also is open to applicants with \u201cdemonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion in the arts, learning, and civic leadership.\u201d One orchestra mentions only the historically-underrepresented populations in its description of the program, but then states on the actual application that all candidates are considered regardless of race. (I am deliberately not identifying any specific orchestra in this article.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I am not aware of any orchestra fellowship program that has been tested in the courts. But as the law stands today, the three-part test from <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnson<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and their progeny would apply. There is no question that orchestra musicians have special training and skills, so the \u201cmanifest imbalance\u201d comparison would be between the percentage of underrepresented musicians in the orchestra (usually the low single digits, sadly) and a labor pool consisting of musicians with the requisite skills. That is a factual comparison that can be made with data analysis, but ascertaining the scope of the applicable labor pool\u2014and the percentage of underrepresented musicians within it\u2014might be tricky. Given the incredibly small numbers of musicians from underrepresented groups in most orchestras, it is hard to imagine that the data wouldn\u2019t show an imbalance; but it may not be as extreme as in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (39% vs. 1.83%) or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Johnson<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (all qualified women vs. 0%).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As for whether a fellowship satisfies the \u201ctemporary\u201d requirement, I\u2019m not sure how many programs specify that they will terminate once the orchestra starts to reflect the racial balance of the applicable workforce. Again, none of this has been tested in court, so it is difficult to predict how significant such an omission might be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Programs that are completely closed to musicians who do not belong to historically-underrepresented populations might have a difficult time with the \u201cunnecessarily trammels\u201d factor. That is likely why some programs open it up to musicians of any race who can demonstrate a commitment to diversity and inclusion. Even when the program is closed to certain races, though, an argument can be made that there is no unnecessary trammeling: for example, no White musician is losing their job, particularly if the program does not permit fellows to replace other musicians; no White musician faces a \u201cbar to advancement\u201d because they can always win a job the old-fashioned way, by auditioning for a vacancy; and, perhaps most importantly, no fellow is guaranteed a job upon completing their fellowship, so no White musician is at a disadvantage when a vacancy arises in the complement. (Some may argue that auto-advancing a fellow past the preliminary round in an audition is an advantage they possess that White musicians do not, but I don\u2019t find that argument at all compelling; in reality, all sorts of musicians are frequently auto-advanced, and often for less-worthy reasons such as whom they studied or went to school with.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In sum, there are strong arguments that most orchestra fellowship programs, if tested in court under the law as it stands today, would survive. There are possible hurdles, too: making the data-driven showing of \u201cmanifest imbalance,\u201d ensuring that a plan satisfies the \u201ctemporary&#8221; standard, and\u2014particularly for programs that are closed to certain races\u2014passing the \u201cdoes not unnecessarily trammel\u201d test. But in my view, orchestra fellowship programs largely harken back to what was approved in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: a training and professional development program for historically-underrepresented workers, designed to put them in a better position to get a full-time job and thus address the racial imbalance in the workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and Its Fallout\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision is the most recent in a line of cases at the Supreme Court that address racial preferences in college admissions, many of which resulted in plurality decisions with no majority of justices in agreement and a host of concurring and dissenting opinions. Now, however, there is a solid majority of six conservative justices who are ideologically aligned, and when it comes to matters of race, that alignment is the polar opposite of the rationale underpinning cases like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. As Justice Clarence Thomas writes in his concurrence in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u201call forms of discrimination based on race\u2014including so-called affirmative action\u2014are prohibited under the Constitution.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It must be stressed that the college-admissions cases utilize a different legal framework than the private-employment, affirmative-action cases. Admissions cases do <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> arise under Title VII or other anti-discrimination statutes; rather, because these schools often are public universities or receive substantial federal funding, they are decided under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Amendment: \u201cnor shall any state\u2026deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.\u201d The Supreme Court\u2019s longstanding legal test under the Equal Protection Clause is that any racial classification must be narrowly tailored to further a compelling governmental interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just 20 years ago, the Supreme Court held in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grutter v. Bollinger<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 539 U.S. 306 (2003), that a University of Michigan policy that considered race as a \u201cplus\u201d factor in admissions did not violate the Equal Protection Clause. The majority opinion, written by Justice O\u2019Conner, reasoned that the \u201ceducational benefits of a diverse student body\u201d represent a compelling state interest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the Court effectively overruled <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grutter<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Diversity of the student body is no longer a viable state interest. Writing for the 6\u20133 majority, Justice Roberts\u2014famous for his simplistic and circular argument that \u201cthe way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race\u201d\u2014explained that race had been used by colleges as a \u201cnegative\u201d rather than a \u201cplus\u201d factor, particularly with respect to students of Asian descent who were not preferred in admissions. In his view, all racial classifications incorporate stereotyping\u2014an assumption that people of a certain race think alike and have similar experiences\u2014and are thus impermissible. The only way for colleges to consider race, he wrote, is to consider on an individualized basis \u201chow race affected [the applicant\u2019s] life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise\u2026a benefit to a student who overcame racial discrimination, for example, must be tied to that student\u2019s courage and determination.\u201d (I find this quote particularly offensive, as it seems to be asserting that the way to deal with discrimination is not to address perpetrators, but for victims to simply have more \u201ccourage and determination.\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Affirmative action programs in private employment are not directly affected by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as they exist in a different legal context altogether. However, the opinion demonstrates a marked hostility to any form of racial preference that does not bode well for the continued viability of Title VII affirmative-action cases like <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Consider this statement from Roberts: \u201cEliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.\u201d That is code; it is typically said by those arguing that affirmative action is just another form of discrimination. Supreme Court justices choose their words carefully, and this was no accident.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another comment stands out: Roberts wrote that it is impermissible to compare the racial makeup of college applicants to the general population or to previous college classes until \u201csome rough percentage of various racial groups is admitted.\u201d As discussed above, that kind of comparison, and the requirement that an affirmative-action program stop once the imbalance is corrected, is precisely what justifies a permissible affirmative-action plan under <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and its progeny.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Opponents of affirmative action wasted no time in arguing that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> dooms any and all hiring programs that take race into account. Two weeks after <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">was decided, the Attorneys General of 13 states sent a letter to the CEOs of all Fortune 100 companies, warning that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cshould place every employer and contractor on notice of the illegality of racial quotas and race-based preferences in employment and contracting practices\u2026you will be held accountable.\u201d (See<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/content\/dam\/tn\/attorneygeneral\/documents\/pr\/2023\/pr23-27-letter.pdf\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/content\/dam\/tn\/attorneygeneral\/documents\/pr\/2023\/pr23-27-letter.pdf<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next, the same activists behind <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">began suing major law firms over their DEI summer-associate fellowship programs, which typically had been open only to members of historically-disadvantaged populations. The group calling itself the American Alliance for Equal Rights argued that after <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the exclusion of White heterosexual male applicants\u2014that is exactly how one such applicant was described in the complaint\u2014violates Title VII and other anti-discrimination statutes. In response, most of these law firms modified their fellowship programs to eliminate the use of race, gender, or identity as a factor in awarding fellowships; one firm simply terminated its fellowship program altogether. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activists also brought a case against the drugmaker Pfizer for its management fellowship program, which was open only to Black, Latino, and Native American applicants. Although the case was initially dismissed on grounds that the plaintiff lacked standing to sue, the plaintiff appealed<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and while that appeal was pending, Pfizer changed course and opened up the program to applicants of all races. That still wasn\u2019t enough, evidently: on appeal to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, the plaintiff is arguing that <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">even the mere goal of increasing diversity<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the workplace violates anti-discrimination laws. This could be the first affirmative action case arising from private employment to get to the Supreme Court after <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The fact that some of the largest and most sophisticated law firms and corporations are unwilling to defend their fellowship programs in court after <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SFA <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is not a good omen. This Supreme Court\u2019s hostility to pretty much any consideration of race, combined with its demonstrated willingness to overrule settled precedent (e.g., the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dobbs <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">decision), would seem to put the writing on the wall when it comes to <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weber <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the legality of affirmative action plans in private employment.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the event the Supreme Court threatens the viability of orchestra fellowship programs, we will need to explore other avenues of professional development for musicians of historically underrepresented populations. Fellowships programs have worked\u2014they are probably the most effective tool we have had when it comes to increasing representation. Fellows get jobs. If the Court makes these programs untenable, we will have to find something equally effective.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><br style=\"font-weight: 400;\" \/><br style=\"font-weight: 400;\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since the Supreme Court\u2019s June 29, 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFA) v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), hiring practices that use race as a factor have come under increasing scrutiny. Orchestra fellowship programs, which many ICSOM orchestras have implemented, are no exception. Even before SFA, musicians have asked whether fellowship programs\u2014which often&#8230; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/2023\/12\/legal-viability-of-fellowships-scotus-heads-in-a-troubling-direction\/\">[Read more]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[105,256],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4020","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-counsels-columns","8":"category-december-2023","9":"entry"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Legal Viability of Fellowships: SCOTUS Heads in a Troubling Direction | Senza Sordino<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/2023\/12\/legal-viability-of-fellowships-scotus-heads-in-a-troubling-direction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Legal Viability of Fellowships: SCOTUS Heads in a Troubling Direction | Senza Sordino\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Since the Supreme Court\u2019s June 29, 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions (SFA) v. 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