A federal trial challenging the U.S. Naval Academy's practice of considering race in admitting students will begin Monday morning.

A bench trial began last week in Baltimore federal court in a civil case over affirmative action at American military academies. Attorneys for the U.S. Naval Academy say the school

The question of whether the Naval Academy can continue to consider an applicant’s race in its admissions process now rests in the hands of a federal judge. Lawyers on either side of the legal question presented closing arguments Thursday in Baltimore’s U.

The U.S. Naval Academy wants to keep considering race when admitting new trainees at its officer training school. Attorneys in an ongoing civil trial in Maryland said that it helps ensure a diverse military and garner respect,

The Supreme Court banned race-conscious admissions practices for most schools but left a possible national security exception for military academies.