Previewing SCOTUS Case, Intelligence Squared U.S. and the National Constitution Center Debate Affirmative Action at NYC's Kaufman Center and Online, December 3

In the 2015-2016 term, the Supreme Court will again consider Affirmative Action as they take up, for a second time, the case of a white student suing a Texas school for race discrimination in denying her admission. A key issue will be whether the Equal Protection Clause in the Constitution supports her case. The Fourteenth Amendment provides that "No State shall...deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws," yet many state universities give preferences to certain races in their admissions decisions. Should they? On Thursday, December 3, Intelligence Squared U.S. and the National Constitution Center will address these questions with a live debate on the motion "The Equal Protection Clause Forbids Racial Preferences in State University Admissions."

Four well-respected legal authorities will argue the issue, including several who were involved the first time the Supreme Court took up this current case in 2012. The arguments for the motion might be that these preferences are racial discrimination pure and simple, the precise evil that the Equal Protection Clause was intended to forbid. The arguments against might be that they level the playing field, remedy prior discrimination, and enhance diversity within the classroom, thus redeeming the true promise of equal protection. 

The debate will be held at New York's Kaufman Center and stream live online, then air soon after as part of the syndicated public radio show and podcast "Intelligence Squared U.S." On December 3, online viewers can tune in here (http://bit.ly/1M2gbof) or via IQ2's app (http://shorefi.re/VTwKwx)

WHAT: Intelligence Squared U.S. Debates "The Equal Protection Clause Forbids Racial Preferences in State University Admissions"

WHEN: Thur, December 3, 2015 / Reception 5:45-6:30 / Debate 6:45-8:15 PM

WHERE: Kaufman Center/129 W. 67th Street (bet. Broadway and Amsterdam)/New York, NY 10023

TICKETS: $40 ($12 for students w/ ID). To purchase, visit http://www.intelligencesquaredus.org/

Arguing for the motion:

* Roger Clegg: President & General Counsel, Center for Equal Opportunity

Roger Clegg is president and general counsel of the Center for Equal Opportunity. He focuses on legal issues arising from civil rights laws – including the regulatory impact on business and the problems in higher education created by affirmative action. A former deputy assistant attorney general in the Reagan and Bush administrations, Clegg held the second highest positions in both the Civil Rights Division (1987-91) and in the Environment and Natural Resources Division (1991-93). He has held several other positions at the U.S. Justice Department, including assistant to the solicitor general (1985-87), associate deputy attorney general (1984-85), and acting assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Policy (1984). 

* Stuart Taylor, Jr.: Nonresident Fellow, Brookings & Co-Author, Mismatch

Stuart Taylor, Jr. is an author, freelance writer, lawyer, and nonresident fellow with the Brookings Institution. Often called one of the nation's leading legal journalists, he frequently writes on the Supreme Court and a wide range of legal and political issues. Stuart has coauthored several critically acclaimed books, including Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts Students It's Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It (2010) in which he and Richard Sander explain how racial preferences harm minority students. He wrote for The New York Times from 1980 to 1988; American Lawyer Media from 1989 to 1997; National Journal and Newsweek from 1998 to 2010; and various publications since 2010. 

Arguing against the motion:

* Deborah Archer: Director, Racial Justice Project & Professor, New York Law School

Deborah N. Archer, an expert in the areas of civil rights and racial discrimination, is a professor of law at New York Law School, where she also serves as co-director of the Impact Center for Public Interest Law, dean of diversity and inclusion, and director of the Racial Justice Project. She was previously an assistant counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., where she litigated at the trial and appellate level in cases involving affirmative action in higher education, employment discrimination, school desegregation, and voting rights. She was also a fellow with the American Civil Liberties Union, where she was involved in federal and state litigation on issues of race and poverty. She has participated as amicus counsel in several cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including Fisher v. University of Texas.

* Erwin Chemerinsky: Dean, University of California, Irvine School of Law

Erwin Chemerinsky is the founding dean, distinguished professor of law, and Raymond Pryke Professor of First Amendment Law at the University of California, Irvine School of Law, with a joint appointment in political science. His areas of expertise are constitutional law, federal practice, civil rights and civil liberties, and appellate litigation. He is the author of eight books, including The Case Against the Supreme Court (2014), and more than 200 articles in top law reviews. He frequently argues cases before the nation’s highest courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, and also serves as a commentator on legal issues for national and local media. In January 2014, National Jurist magazine named Chemerinsky as the most influential person in legal education in the U.S.

ABOUT INTELLIGENCE SQUARED U.S. DEBATES (IQ2US)

A non-partisan, nonprofit organization, Intelligence Squared U.S. was founded in 2006 to restore civility, reasoned analysis and constructive public discourse to today’s often biased media landscape. IQ2US reaches millions through multi-platform distribution, including radio, television, live streaming, podcasts and interactive digital content. It is one of the top 25 most popular podcasts on iTunes, and has won the 2014 Clarion Award for Radio Regular Feature Program and three consecutive 2013-2015 New York Festivals International Radio Awards for Best Public Affairs Program. The debates have attracted some of the world's top thinkers, including Malcolm Gladwell, Steven Forbes, Dr. Neal Barnard, Arianna Huffington, Paul Krugman, and Karl Rove. With over 100 debates and counting, Intelligence Squared U.S. has encouraged the public to "think twice" on a wide range of provocative topics. Author and ABC News correspondent John Donvan has moderated IQ2US since 2008. The executive producer is Dana Wolfe.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER 

The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia inspires active citizenship as the only place where people across America and around the world can come together to learn about, debate, and celebrate the greatest vision of human freedom in history, the U.S. Constitution. We serve as America’s leading platform for constitutional educational and debate, fulfilling our Congressional charter “to disseminate information about the U.S. Constitution on a non-partisan basis.” As the Museum of We the People, we bring the United States Constitution to life for visitors of all ages through interactive programs and exhibits. As America’s Town Hall, we bring the leading conservative and liberal thought leaders together to debate the Constitution on all media platforms. As a Civic Education Headquarters, we deliver the best educational programs and online resources that inspire, excite, and engage citizens about the U.S. Constitution. For more information, call 215-409-6700 or visit constitutioncenter.org.