Justice Department accuses UCLA law school of illegally using race in admissions – Los Angeles Times

Justice Department accuses UCLA law school of illegally using race in admissions  Los Angeles Times

UCLA's law school discriminated against white and Asian applicants by illegally using race in admissions, the Department of Justice alleged Thursday. The finding adds to a series of federal actions against University of California admissions that have focused on highly selective law and medical schools. The department issued a similar finding against UC Berkeley's law school on Sept. 9, and other recent findings against the medical schools at UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego and UC San Francisco. All of the campuses deny the allegations. In an eight-page letter, the Justice Department alleged UCLA Law "intentionally discriminated on the basis of race" in admitting its 2023, 2024 and 2025 classes. It accused the school of favoring Black and Latino applicants in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling ending race-based affirmative action in college admissions.

"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," Assistant Atty. Gen. Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the department's Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. "The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal." UCLA Law said in a statement that it "is committed to making admissions decisions in compliance