Supreme Court Regents of UC v. Bakke limits racial quotas in college admissions but permits diversity rationale

The Supreme Court rules in Regents of University of California v. Bakke that while rigid numerical quotas for race in university admissions violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, universities may consider race as one factor among many to achieve diverse student bodies. The 5-4 decision represents a compromise: Justice Lewis Powell's plurality opinion allows race-conscious admissions for the purpose of achieving educational diversity. The decision simultaneously restricts the use of explicit quotas and permits affirmative action justifications based on educational benefits of diversity. Bakke becomes a foundational precedent that will govern affirmative action jurisprudence for 45 years, establishing diversity as a compelling government interest.