Here's where it's really going to matter that Samuel Alito has replaced Sandra Day O'Connor.

The Supreme Court just granted cert. in an affirmative action case:

The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to consider whether the University of Texas at Austin has the right to consider race and ethnicity in admissions decisions. Those bringing the case hope the Supreme Court will restrict or even eliminate the right of colleges to consider race in admissions – a prerogative last affirmed by the Supreme Court in 2003 in a case involving the University of Michigan’s law school.

O'Connor was the 5th vote — joining 4 liberal Justices — to accept the use of race as a factor in admissions.