Justice Department Finds UCLA Law Has Been Discriminating Against White, Asian Applicants for Years
The Department of Justice announced on Thursday that the University of California Los Angeles Law School discriminated against white and Asian applicants for years, using race as a major determining factor in admissions.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division shared its findings in a news release accusing UCLA Law School of violating the 2023 Supreme Court decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which bans such practices.
The law school was also cited for violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said, “Like many of its peer institutions, UCLA Law School runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin.”
“The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal,” she added. “The Department will continue to enforce equal treatment under the law everywhere — including in our nation’s law schools.”
The DOJ probe discovered that the institution’s application included “personal statements and essay prompts, which are designed to elicit information about race.”
It also found that admissions staff told certain applicants “how to reveal their race in these sections of the application,” including during “race-based recruitment efforts,” such as an annual “Diversity Admissions Open House.”
White and Asian applicants who had the same LSAT scores as black and Hispanic candidates were rejected in favor of the latter.
Additionally, combined admission stats from 2024 and 2025 showed that “half of the admitted black applicants had LSAT scores that were at or below 90 percent of the admitted white applicants.”
The UCLA School of Law issued a statement to the Associated Press which read, “Students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review process that considers each applicant’s achievements and experiences.”
“We are confident in our process,” the statement added.
The Justice Department noted that UCLA receives federal funding and must abide by non-discrimination laws to keep receiving those funds, even threatening to sue the school if necessary.
“The Department will continue to investigate their compliance with Title VI, as interpreted by SFFA’s prohibition on race-conscious admissions,” the release concluded.
“Where a violation has been found, the Department will engage in settlement negotiations to ensure the school’s admissions practices are brought into compliance. If those efforts fail, the Department will file suit.”
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