A lawyer for a group of Harvard College students and prospective applicants faced tough questions in a federal appeals court on Thursday about its bid to intervene in a suit over the school's use of race in the undergraduate admissions process.

Taylor Owings, an associate at Arnold & Porter's Washington office, argued for the 14 individuals who favor using race considerations in admissions. She asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to reverse U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs' June denial of their motion to intervene in the Boston federal case.

The nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions Inc.'s 2014 case claims Harvard University's use of race in the admissions process violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.