When is Race Relevant in the Law? When the law draws a distinction based on the attributes of race, alienage, or national origin, is that distinction actually aimed at a real problem, or does that classification only represent racial or ethnic bias being encoded into law? Under what circumstances could it be appropriate to draw a distinction in the law based on race? In other words, in the law, when is race relevant? Also, what about the law's supposed "color-blindness"?