The U.S. Justice Department on October 1 announced investigative findings that the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law discriminated against white and Asian students in admissions, granting spots to its 2023, 2024, and 2025 incoming classes in violation of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court's 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions.
DOJ finds UCLA Law broke the law on race
In a letter to the law school, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the department's Civil Rights Division said UCLA Law intentionally discriminated in admissions, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in *Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard* (SFFA).
"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," Dhillon said. "The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal. The Department will continue to enforce equal treatment under the law everywhere — including in our nation's law schools."
Same LSAT scores, different outcomes by race
The investigation analyzed seven years of applicant-level data from 2019 through 2025 and found that "an applicant's race has a large effect" on admissions outcomes. For the 2025 incoming class, Black applicants had roughly seven times the odds of admission compared to otherwise equivalent white applicants; Hispanic applicants had about twice the odds, according to the department.
The LSAT comparisons are stark. The median LSAT score among admitted white applicants in 2025 was 172, versus 168 for admitted Black applicants — and 168 was also the median score among white and Asian applicants who were denied admission. In other words, UCLA Law rejected white and Asian applicants who had the same LSAT scores as admitted Black and Hispanic applicants. In 2024 and 2025 combined, half of the admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores at or below the scores of 90% of admitted white applicants.
Investigators also said that after SFFA, UCLA Law's personal statements and essay prompts were designed to elicit information about race. At a November 2023 "Diversity Admissions Open House" and other race-based recruitment events, admissions staff allegedly advised prospective applicants how to reveal their racial backgrounds in those sections.
UCLA says its process is lawful and merit-based
UCLA Law on October 1 rejected the allegations and said it is "confident in our process." In a statement, the school said it complies with all applicable laws, including the California Constitution and Proposition 209 — the 1996 measure that already bars the University of California from considering race or sex in admissions — along with federal statutes and the U.S. Constitution.
"Students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review process that considers each applicant's achievements and experiences," the school said.
Third law school named in a widening crackdown
UCLA is the third law school named in the probe, following similar allegations against Duke University's law school in August and UC Berkeley's law school last month. The investigations are part of the Trump administration's broader campaign against university diversity initiatives. President Trump has described diversity goals as anti-merit and discriminatory against white people and men, and has signed orders to dismantle them; rights advocates argue diversity programs address historic inequities facing marginalized groups.
Dhillon wrote that the department is seeking a voluntary resolution to bring UCLA's admissions policies into compliance. The department noted that as a public institution receiving federal funds, UCLA could risk losing that funding if it does not take corrective action.
For Chinese American families, the finding lands close to home: Asian applicants were explicitly named among the discriminated groups. The Supreme Court's 2023 ruling was already a victory for the Asian American advocacy groups that spent years challenging race-based admissions. Now, with the Justice Department putting hard LSAT numbers on the table, the fairness of elite admissions will stay in the spotlight. Whether UCLA Law accepts a corrective plan and whether federal dollars are on the line will be worth watching.