The Department of Justice has concluded that Duke University School of Law violated federal law by using race-based admissions practices, even after the Supreme Court struck down such policies.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has concluded that Duke University School of Law intentionally discriminated against white and Asian applicants based on race. 📺 DETAIL: The DOJ announced on Thursday that Duke University School of Law had given preferential treatment to black and Hispanic candidates during the admissions process. This violates Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which barred race-conscious college admissions. The discrimination took place between 2023 and 2025. According to internal documents and admissions data uncovered by the DOJ, Duke showed an intent “to discriminate against all racial groups except black and Hispanic applicants, to accept more black and Hispanic applicants.” The university used various mechanisms, such as “diversity” essay questions and other proxies for race to advance its diversity goals, which were consciously disguised as race-neutral measures according to internal communications. “As a result of these practices, highly qualified white, Asian, and other students were denied admission on the basis of their race,” the DOJ said. The investigation also uncovered disparities in LSAT scores, with admitted black applicants that scored significantly lower than rejected white and Asian applicants. In 2025, the median score of an admitted black applicant was 166, while the median score for both white and Asian applicants was 173. The DOJ’s investigation found that a black applicant was roughly 3.5 times more likely to be admitted than an Asian applicant with similar credentials. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “Duke Law School doesn’t get a free pass to discriminate against white and Asian students simply because it thinks it has good intentions… Using ‘diversity’ essay questions to identify preferred races for admission is still illegal discrimination based on race, and this Department is committed to eliminating it everywhere we find it, including in our nation’s law schools.” – Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General 🎯 IMPACT: The DOJ is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement with Duke to bring its admissions practices into compliance with federal law. The DOJ may pursue enforcement through the courts if the university refuses to comply. This represents another front in President Donald J. Trump’s crackdown on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.
show less
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
