Epstein on Ricci v. DeStefano

On June 29, 2009, the Supreme Court handed down the most anticipated decision of its term, finding that white firefighters denied promotion in New Haven, Connecticut, were the victims of racial discrimination.

In doing so, the justices overturned a ruling joined by Federal appeals court judge, and high court nominee, Sonia Sotomayor. That alone grabbed a lot of headlines. But more profound are the questions raised about civil rights law and the future of affirmative action in the United States.

On NPR's On Point, Professor Richard Epstein discussed Ricci v. DeStefano with Jess Bravin, Supreme Court correspondent for The Wall Street Journal; Professor Richard Thompson Ford, Stanford Law School; and host Jane Clayson. Listen to the podcast at the On Point website.