Here are a list of precedents for the case.
Steelworkers v. Weber (1979): The Court that a plan requiring that blacks constitute 50% of new trainees in effect until percentage of employer work force equal to percentage in local labor force was constitutional.
Wygant v. Jackson Board of Education (1986): The ultimate burden remains with the employees to demonstrate the unconstitutionality of an affirmative action program.
Teamsters v. U.S. (1977): In determining whether an imbalance exists that would justify taking sex or race into account, a comparison of the percentage of minorities or women in the employer's work force with the percentage in the area labor market or general population is appropriate in analyzing jobs that require no special expertise.
McDonald v.Santa Fe Trail Transportation Co.(1976): Congress intended to eliminate all practices which operate to disadvantage the employment opportunities of any group protected by Title VII, including Caucasians.