Justice Department Finds UCLA Law School Discriminated Against White and Asian Applicants

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced findings on Wednesday that the University of California-Los Angeles School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions for its 2023, 2024, and 2025 incoming classes. According to the department, the institution's admissions practices violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the U.S. Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

The findings allege that UCLA Law operated an admissions system where academic standards varied based on the race of applicants. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon stated that using race to either assist or disadvantage applicants is illegal and affirmed that the department will enforce equal treatment under federal law.

According to the investigation, UCLA Law adjusted its application process following the Supreme Court's decision to include personal statements and essay prompts designed to prompt applicants to disclose their race. The Justice Department also stated that admissions staff instructed prospective students on how to reveal their racial background during recruitment events, including the school's annual "Diversity Admissions Open House."

The Justice Department's analysis claimed that the law school rejected white and Asian candidates with the same Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores as admitted Black and Hispanic applicants. The department further reported that for the combined 2024 and 2025 classes, half of the admitted Black applicants scored at or below the 90th percentile of LSAT scores among admitted white applicants.

Because UCLA Law receives federal financial assistance, it must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. The Justice Department stated it plans to engage in settlement negotiations to bring the school's admissions procedures into compliance and will pursue a lawsuit if negotiations are unsuccessful.

Source