[NEW ORLEANS] Three federal appeals court judges gave no clear signal Tuesday of how they might rule in a case challenging the University of Texas' consideration of race and ethnicity in undergraduate admissions.
The judges with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in New Orleans by lawyers defending UT's practice and a lawyer contesting it on behalf of two white students who were denied admission.
The three-judge panel is not expected to rule for several months.
Joshua Civin, a lawyer representing the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and UT's Black Student Alliance, said even a small increase in African American enrollment improves diversity and the comfort level of black students.
