Facing a deadline this week, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette has pledged to ask an entire federal appeals court to suspend and re-examine a landmark decision that overturned the state\'s ban on affirmative action in college admissions. But here\'s the key issue: Will a majority of the court\'s 15 active judges agree to take the case? It would be rare for the full court to sweep aside the work of one of its panels and start from scratch, but this is not a typical case. It involves a 2006 law approved by 58 percent of Michigan voters and a very contentious issue - the role of race and gender in decisions by public officials. Robert Sedler, an expert in constitutional law at Wayne State University's law school, said affirmative action may be \"politically hot,\" but that\'s not a reason for the full court to intervene. \"The reason may be it raises an important constitutional issue,\" Sedler said.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110724/NEWS06/110724004/Michigan-ban-affirmative-action-may-get-2nd-look?odyssey=nav%7Chead
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mi-michigan-affirmat,0,1918000.story
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Mich-ban-on-affirmative-action-may-get-2nd-look-1565690.php