UCLA Law discriminated against Asian, white applicants, US Justice Dept says
Synopsis
The US Justice Department has accused UCLA School of Law of running a 'two-tiered' admissions system that penalised Asian and white applicants — citing LSAT score gaps across three consecutive admissions cycles and alleged essay prompts designed to surface race. UCLA has flatly rejected the finding, setting up a potential landmark legal battle over the limits of holistic admissions in the post-Harvard ruling era.
Key Takeaways
The US Justice Department alleged UCLA School of Law discriminated against Asian and white applicants in its 2023, 2024, and 2025 admissions cycles.
In the combined 2024–2025 cycles, half of admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores at or below those of 90% of admitted white applicants, according to the department.
The probe cites violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v.
Investigators alleged UCLA Law's application prompts were designed to elicit race information, and staff advised applicants on disclosing race during recruitment events.
UCLA Law denied the allegations, defending its admissions as a 'comprehensive, merit-based review process.' The Justice Department will seek a negotiated settlement first; if that fails, it will file suit.
The US Department of Justice on 2 October 2026 alleged that UCLA School of Law, one of California's most prestigious public law schools, discriminated against Asian and white applicants by covertly factoring race into its admissions decisions — a charge the school firmly rejected, insisting its process is comprehensive and merit-based.
What the Investigation Found
The department's Civil Rights Division said its probe covered UCLA Law's admissions practices across the incoming classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. Investigators concluded that the school ran what they described as a 'two-tiered admissions system' in which the academic threshold for acceptance shifted based on an applicant's race.
According to the department's analysis, UCLA Law rejected white and Asian applicants who posted the same Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores as Black and Hispanic applicants who were admitted. In the combined 2024 and 2025 admissions cycles, the department said, half of admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores at or below those of 90 per cent of admitted white applicants.
Legal Basis for the Allegation
The Justice Department said the practices violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination by institutions that receive federal financial assistance. Investigators also cited the US Supreme Court's 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which restricted the use of race in university admissions nationwide.
The department further alleged that UCLA Law's application forms included personal statement prompts and essay questions that were deliberately structured to elicit information about an applicant's race. Admissions staff, it alleged, also guided prospective students during recruitment events — including an annual 'Diversity Admissions Open House' — on how to disclose their racial identity within their applications.
What UCLA Law Said
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who heads the Civil Rights Division, said in a statement: '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.' She added: '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.'
UCLA Law pushed back directly. 'UCLA School of Law is committed to making admissions decisions in compliance with all applicable laws, including the California Constitution and Proposition 209, federal statutes, and the US Constitution,' the school said in a statement. 'Students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review process that considers each applicant's achievements and experiences. We are confident in our process,' it added.
The school's response notably stressed that its review goes beyond any single academic metric — a direct counter to the Justice Department's LSAT-based comparison.
What Happens Next
The department said it will first seek a negotiated settlement to bring UCLA Law's admissions practices into compliance with federal non-discrimination law. Should those efforts fail, it said it will proceed to file suit. This investigation is part of a broader federal push since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling to audit race-conscious admissions practices at universities and professional schools across the country. UCLA Law's response sets the stage for what could become a high-profile legal confrontation over the boundaries of holistic admissions.
Point of View
That no single metric captures merit, is constitutionally sound but politically fragile in the current federal environment. What is notably absent from the department's findings is any accounting for socioeconomic variables that correlate with both race and test scores — a gap that UCLA will almost certainly exploit if this proceeds to court. The outcome could redraw admissions practice at public law schools nationwide.
NationPress
2 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did the US Justice Department allege against UCLA School of Law?
The Justice Department alleged that UCLA Law discriminated against Asian and white applicants by using race as a factor in admissions decisions for its 2023, 2024, and 2025 incoming classes. Investigators said the school operated a two-tiered system in which the academic threshold for admission varied by race, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling on university admissions.
What evidence did the Justice Department cite?
The department's analysis found that UCLA Law rejected Asian and white applicants with the same LSAT scores as Black and Hispanic applicants who were admitted. It also alleged that application essay prompts were designed to elicit racial information, and that admissions staff instructed prospective students at recruitment events on how to disclose their race in applications.
How did UCLA Law respond to the allegations?
UCLA Law denied the allegations, stating it is committed to compliance with all applicable laws, including California's Proposition 209, which bars affirmative action in public institutions. The school said admissions decisions are made through a comprehensive, merit-based review that considers each applicant's achievements and experiences, and that it is confident in its process.
What legal authority underpins the Justice Department's investigation?
The department cited Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination by institutions receiving federal financial assistance, and the US Supreme Court's 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which restricted race-conscious admissions at universities. UCLA Law, as a public institution receiving federal funding, is subject to both.
What are the possible outcomes of this investigation?
The Justice Department said it will first seek a negotiated settlement to bring UCLA Law's admissions practices into compliance. If settlement talks fail, it has said it will file a lawsuit. A court battle could set a significant precedent for holistic admissions practices at public law schools across the United States.
