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CITY OF RICHMOND v. J. A. CROSON CO. Case Brief
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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis
tl;dr: The Supreme Court struck down a city’s affirmative action plan that set aside 30% of public works contracts for minority-owned businesses, establishing that such state and local programs are subject to strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause.
Legal Significance: This case established that state and local race-based affirmative action programs are subject to strict scrutiny and cannot be justified by general societal discrimination, but must be narrowly tailored to remedy specific, identified instances of past discrimination within the jurisdiction.
CITY OF RICHMOND v. J. A. CROSON CO. 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
The City of Richmond, Virginia, enacted a Minority Business Utilization Plan requiring prime contractors awarded city construction contracts to subcontract at least 30% of the contract’s value to Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs). An MBE was defined as a business at least 51% owned by citizens who are Black, Spanish-speaking, Oriental, Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut. The city justified the plan based on a disparity between the city’s 50% black population and the 0.67% of prime construction contracts awarded to minority firms over a five-year period. It also cited low minority membership in local contractor associations and congressional findings of nationwide discrimination. J. A. Croson Co., a non-minority contractor, was the sole bidder for a city project but was denied a waiver of the 30% requirement after failing to find a qualified MBE. The city rebid the project, and Croson filed suit, alleging the ordinance violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Court Holding & Legal Precedent
Issue: Does a municipal ordinance requiring a fixed percentage of public construction contracts be set aside for minority-owned businesses violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when the justification is based on general societal discrimination rather than specific evidence of discrimination by the city or its contractors?
Yes. The Richmond plan violated the Equal Protection Clause. The city failed 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 repr
IRAC Legal Analysis
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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
Does a municipal ordinance requiring a fixed percentage of public construction contracts be set aside for minority-owned businesses violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment when the justification is based on general societal discrimination rather than specific evidence of discrimination by the city or its contractors?
Conclusion
This decision significantly heightened the evidentiary burden for state and local governments 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
Legal Rule
State and local government classifications based on race, including those intended as 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 p
Legal Analysis
The Court, in a majority opinion authored by Justice O'Connor, held that 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 en
Flash-to-Full Case Opinions
Flash Summary
- All state and local government racial classifications, even if remedial, are