In 370 days, Supreme Court conservatives dash decades of abortion and affirmative action precedents

Overturning Roe v. Wade and affirmative action in higher education had been leading goals of the conservative legal movement for decades. Over a span of 370 days, a Supreme Court reshaped by three justices nominated by President Donald Trump made both of those goals a reality. Last June, the court ended nationwide protections for abortion rights. On Thursday, the court’s conservative majority decided race-conscious admissions programs at the oldest private and public colleges in the county were are unlawful. Precedents that had stood since the 1970s were overturned. The court just ended a term in which ethical questions swirled around the justices and public trust dipped. There were other expected conservative decisions but also some notable surprises.