Los Angeles, CA — The Justice Department says UCLA School of Law illegally discriminated against white and Asian applicants by continuing to consider race in admissions after the Supreme Court restricted race-conscious college admissions in 2023.
The department’s Civil Rights Division said its investigation found that UCLA Law used what officials described as a “two-tiered admissions system” for incoming classes from 2023 through 2025. DOJ said applicants with similar LSAT scores were treated differently depending on race and alleged that essays and recruitment programs were used to encourage applicants to disclose racial backgrounds.
UCLA disputes that characterization. The law school says its admissions process is comprehensive, merit-based and compliant with federal law as well as California’s longstanding prohibition on racial preferences at public universities.
The finding is part of a broader Trump administration campaign targeting university diversity and admissions policies. The Justice Department has previously made similar accusations involving UCLA’s medical school and UC Berkeley Law, while launching investigations into additional universities.
DOJ says it will first seek a voluntary agreement requiring changes to UCLA Law’s admissions practices. If negotiations fail, the department says it could file a lawsuit to enforce Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
