Castaneda v. The Regents of the University of California

Filed in 1999 on behalf of African-American, Latino, and Pilipino American applicants to UC Berkeley, Castaneda v. Regents of the University of California alleged that the university's admission procedures unfairly disadvantaged applicants of color in violation of their federal civil rights by not taking into account the full range of indicators of "merit." The parties were able to settle the case because of UC Berkeley's decision to use "comprehensive review" for every applicant. A federal judge in San Francisco approved a consent decree, which requires the Regents to take certain steps to ensure compliance with civil rights laws.