This article revisits the University of Michigan's 2003 affirmative action cases, "Grutter v. Bollinger" and "Gratz v. Bollinger." Through the aid of critical textual analysis and critical race theory, the author looks back at the predominant narratives that framed the challenge to, and defense of, race-conscious affirmative action policy in the University of Michigan cases. In the wake of "Fisher v. University of Texas Austin," the third affirmative action case to be heard before the United States Supreme Court within the last decade, the author suggests that revisiting "Grutter" and "Gratz" may be helpful to understand the evolution of arguments for and against affirmative action. (Contains 6 notes and 6 tables.)