The U.S. Department of Justice has accused the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law of discriminating against white and Asian applicants by using race illegally in admissions decisions, according to a letter issued Thursday. The department’s finding marks the latest federal action targeting University of California admissions policies at highly selective professional schools.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, alleges that UCLA Law “intentionally discriminated on the basis of race” in admitting students to the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The department contends the law school gave preferential treatment to Black and Latino applicants in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that ended race-based affirmative action in college admissions.
“The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal,” Dhillon said. The department called UCLA Law’s admissions process a “two-tiered system” in which the academic standards for acceptance vary by race.
UCLA Law responded with a statement affirming its commitment to comply with all applicable laws, citing California’s Proposition 209—a 1996 state constitutional amendment that prohibits consideration of race in public university admissions. The school described its process as a “comprehensive, merit-based review” and expressed confidence in its fairness.
The Justice Department’s investigation, which began in April 2025, reviewed documents and seven years of application data. For the 2025 class, investigators found that Black applicants had approximately seven times the odds of admission compared to “otherwise equivalent white applicants,” while Latino applicants had about twice the odds. The department also highlighted differences in Law School Admission Test (LSAT) scores, noting that admitted Black students’ median scores were consistently five to seven points lower than those of admitted white students from 2019 through 2024. For 2025, medians stood at 168 for Black applicants and 172 for white applicants, with 168 matching the median score of white and Asian applicants denied admission.
UCLA Law’s admissions policy gives “substantial weight” to academic indicators such as grades and standardized test scores but also considers factors like overcoming challenges, scholarly achievements, and career experience.
The Justice Department cited internal communications suggesting a strong commitment to maintaining a racially diverse student body. It referenced a 2023 diversity open house where staff reportedly encouraged applicants to disclose their race in essay responses or diversity statements. Additionally, a June 2023 email from Assistant Dean of Admissions Robert Schwartz stated that anticipated Supreme Court changes to affirmative action would not affect UCLA Law’s policies.
The department characterized the alleged discrimination as ongoing and is seeking a voluntary resolution with UCLA. It indicated plans to pursue litigation if no agreement is reached.
This allegation follows a similar Justice Department finding against the University of California, Berkeley’s law school issued earlier this month, as well as recent actions involving medical schools across the University of California system, including UCLA, UC Davis, UC San Diego, and UC San Francisco. Those campuses have uniformly denied wrongdoing.
Simultaneously, the department is involved in litigation against UCLA’s medical school concerning similar claims of race-based admissions. Advocacy groups Do No Harm and Students for Fair Admissions filed suit against the medical school in May 2025, alleging illegal racial preferences. The Justice Department joined the lawsuit in January 2026 and issued a related finding in May. The medical school has denied the allegations.