As legal battles drag out, and possibly work their way up to a firmly conservative Supreme Court, the school is at an increasing disadvantage, some observers point out.

This week, a federal judge sided with Harvard in one of its two lawsuits, blocking an order by President Trump to prevent international students from enrolling.

Attorneys for Harvard University and the Trump administration faced off in court Thursday – as the embattled school held its commencement not far away – in a case involving the administration’s bid to ban the enrollment of foreign students.