The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has concluded that UCLA School of Law used race unlawfully in admissions, an administrative finding that could lead to negotiated changes or federal enforcement proceedings.
In a findings letter, the department said its review of 2024 and 2025 admissions data showed that white and Asian applicants were rejected while Black and Hispanic applicants with comparable LSAT scores were admitted. It also cited internal communications that, in the government’s view, reflected a preference for applicants described as diverse and guidance about discussing race in application materials.
The finding is not a judicial ruling, and it does not by itself establish liability. UCLA may challenge the analysis, offer additional evidence about the admissions process or dispute whether the department isolated race from other factors considered in a holistic review.
The investigation rests on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits race discrimination by recipients of federal funding. Its legal backdrop includes the Supreme Court’s 2023 admissions decisions, which sharply limited the use of race but allowed universities to consider how an applicant’s experiences shaped character or ability when that assessment is genuinely individual.
The difficult line is between evaluating an applicant’s account of experience and using that account as a substitute for racial preference. The department says UCLA crossed it. What happens next will depend on the school’s response and whether the government seeks an agreement or brings an enforcement case where its statistical and documentary evidence can be tested.
