UC Berkeley Law accused of racial discrimination in admissions

The U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Education have announced findings from a joint investigation alleging that the University of California, Berkeley Law School discriminated against white and Asian applicants in its admissions process.

According to the Justice Department, the law school used race, specific essay prompts, and other tactics to meet diversity goals, resulting in Black applicants having significantly higher odds of admission than white or Asian applicants with comparable qualifications. Data cited by the DOJ indicates that in 2025, Black applicants had ‘5.8 times higher odds of admission than comparable white applicants.’ The investigation also noted disparities in LSAT scores, with median scores for Black admits around 165, compared to approximately 172 for Asian and white admits.

Harmeet K. Dhillon, the Justice Department’s top civil rights official, stated that the patterns observed ‘could not reasonably have occurred by chance and provide substantial evidence of intentional discrimination.’

In response, the University of California, Berkeley stated it is committed to admitting students based on merit rather than race, sex, or ethnicity, and pledged to provide evidence demonstrating compliance with all relevant laws and policies.