Connection lost
Server error
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena Case Brief
Why Top Law Students (And Those Aspiring to Be) Use LSD+ Briefs
Let's be real, law school is a marathon. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full case system is designed by Harvard Law School and MIT grads to match your pace: Quick summaries when you're slammed, detailed analysis when you need to go deep. Only LSD+ offers this kind of flexibility to genuinely fit your study flow.
Adaptive Case Views
Toggle between Flash, Standard, and Expanded. Get what you need, when you need it.
Exam-Ready IRAC Format
We deliver the precise structure professors look for in exam answers.
Complex Cases, Clarified
We break down dense legal reasoning into something digestible, helping you grasp core concepts.
Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: A non-minority subcontractor lost a federal contract to a minority-owned firm due to a program offering financial incentives for hiring such firms. The Supreme Court held that all federal racial classifications, even so-called “benign” ones, must be reviewed under strict scrutiny.
Legal Significance: This landmark case established that all governmental racial classifications—whether federal, state, or local, and whether remedial or invidious—are subject to strict scrutiny under the equal protection principles of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments, thereby overruling Metro Broadcasting, Inc. v. FCC.
Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena Law School Study Guide
Use this case brief structure for your own legal analysis. Focus on the IRAC methodology to excel in law school exams and cold calls.
Case Facts & Court Holding
Key Facts & Case Background
A prime contractor on a federal highway project, operated by the Department of Transportation, was offered a financial bonus to hire subcontractors certified as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). Federal law, implementing provisions of the Small Business Act and the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, created a rebuttable presumption that individuals from specified racial and ethnic minority groups were “socially and economically disadvantaged” and thus eligible for DBE status. Adarand Constructors, Inc., a company not controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, submitted the lowest bid for a guardrail subcontract. The prime contractor, Mountain Gravel & Construction Company, awarded the subcontract to Gonzales Construction Company, a certified DBE, despite its higher bid. Mountain Gravel’s chief estimator stated that the company would have accepted Adarand’s bid but for the financial incentive provided by the federal program. Adarand filed suit, alleging that the race-based presumptions used in the program violated the equal protection component of the Fifth Amendment’s Due Process Clause by preventing it from competing on equal terms.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Must all racial classifications imposed by the federal government, including those intended to be remedial, be analyzed by a reviewing court under the standard of strict scrutiny?
Yes. All racial classifications, including those enacted by the federal government, are Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia
IRAC Legal Analysis
Complete IRAC Analysis for Higher Grades
IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.
Legal Issue
Must all racial classifications imposed by the federal government, including those intended to be remedial, be analyzed by a reviewing court under the standard of strict scrutiny?
Conclusion
*Adarand* unified equal protection jurisprudence by mandating strict scrutiny for all governmental Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation u
Legal Rule
All racial classifications imposed by any federal, state, or local governmental actor Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis au
Legal Analysis
The Court, in an opinion by Justice O'Connor, established that its equal Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugi
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- Holding: All racial classifications by any governmental actor-federal, state, or local-are