As noted here and in some of the other blogs (Bench Memos, Phi Beta Cons): Good news on preferences: a federal appeals court has ordered Michigan’s universities to comply immediately with Michigan’s new, voter-approved ban on so-called affirmative action. In doing so, the court rejected a ruling by a lower court allowing universities to delay the elimination of preferences until the next admissions cycle. The ruling also suggested that further attempts to block the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative would fail. Here’s a piece on the decision from the Detroit News, “Racial ban back on for 3 colleges.”(Notice the tendentious title.) And here’s a statement by Terrence Pell, of the Center for Individual Rights, which argued the case against the University of Michigan in court. And here is the decision.