Trump administration alleges UC Berkeley School of Law favors Black applicants in admission
Federal investigators said Berkeley Law used essays and race-related questions to favor Black applicants, with Black admits scoring 5 points lower on the LSAT in 2025.
- On Wednesday, the Justice Department and Education Departments announced findings that Berkeley Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in its admissions process.
- Investigators cited data showing that in 2025, Black applicants had 5.8 times higher odds of admission than comparable white applicants, with significant LSAT score disparities during 2024 and 2025 cycles.
- Application questions at Berkeley Law allegedly collected racial information, asking students to specify their identity so admitted individuals could be "grouped" with others of the same "primary identity" in class.
- Dean Erwin Chemerinsky denied the allegations, stating the school "will spare no effort to provide ample evidence" that its admissions policies comply with all relevant laws and rules.
- Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon alleged the school's efforts "circumvent the Supreme Court's decision" in SFFA, as the Justice Department seeks a voluntary resolution agreement to ensure legal compliance.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Trump DOJ targets UC Berkeley Law over enrollment of Black applicants
A joint probe by the two federal departments whose findings were announced on Wednesday marked the latest crackdown on diversity initiatives in universities
Trump Admin. Says Berkeley Law, Duke Med Discriminated
The Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services announced this week that they had determined the University of California, Berkeley’s law school and Duke University’s medical school each intentionally discriminated against white and Asian applicants in their admis
Trump administration claims UC Berkeley law school discriminates against white, Asian applicants
The finding by the Justice and Education departments comes in the wake of similar investigations at UC medical schools. Law school dean Erwin Chemerinsky said the school does not give any race-based preferences.
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