In 2014, a group called Students for Fair Admissions filed a 120-page legal complaint against Harvard, alleging that Harvard systematically discriminates against Asian-Americans. On October 15, 2018, the trial began in a federal courthouse in Boston. If the plaintiffs win, the case could have far-reaching consequences for society and for American politics.

To help us get smarter about the issues at play in this case, we’re joined by John Yoo, Director of the Public Law & Policy Program at the University of California Law School. John graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1989, and Yale Law School in 1992, so he’s no stranger to the admissions practices of elite universities. And, as he discusses in the podcast, he’s personal friends with the lawyers who filed the complaint.