U-M law professor says U.S. Supreme Court's ruling reaffirms status quo on affirmative action

• Related coverage: U.S. Supreme Court sends Fisher vs. University of Texas affirmative action case back to lower court

The U.S. Supreme Court's Monday ruling on the first affirmative action case the body has considered in nearly a decade reaffirms the status quo for university policies, according to media reports.

In an interview with the New York Times following the high court's decision on Fisher vs. University of Texas, University of Michigan Law School professor Richard Primus said little will change in policies with regard to race-based admission practices.

The Supreme Court in a 7-1 decision passed the case back down to the Fifth Circuit court for reconsideration, asking for the court to apply strict scrutiny to the school's policy and for the University of Texas to prove why the policy is needed to promote diversity in its campus.

Primus said many predicted that the Supreme Court would use the case to eliminate affirmative action altogether -- which would have overturned the landmark 2003 Gutter vs. Bollinger case at the University of Michigan in which the court upheld using race as a factor in the admission process.

Read the full Q & A with Primus in the New York Times

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.