Local
Justice Department accuses UCLA Law of race-based admissions
Federal officials say the law school used different admissions standards by race; UCLA says its review process is merit-based and complies with the law.
The U.S. Justice Department announced October 1 that its Civil Rights Division found the UCLA School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions for its 2023 through 2025 entering classes. Reuters reported the department is seeking a voluntary resolution with the university rather than announcing a lawsuit.
What it means locally
The department’s findings letter says its review of applicant data concluded that race affected admission decisions even after the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling restricting race-conscious admissions. UCLA Law disputed that characterization, saying students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review and that the school complies with state and federal law. The department’s findings are an agency determination, not a court judgment, and settlement discussions remain the next stated step. The accompanying photograph shows the south entrance of UCLA School of Law in August 2014 and is archival; it does not depict the investigation, applicants or current admissions activity.
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