Justice Department Accuses Duke University of Race Bias in Law School Admissions

The Justice Department has alleged that Duke University’s law school unlawfully considered race in its admissions process. This accusation forms part of the latest actions by the Trump administration against higher education institutions regarding admissions policies.

The department sent a findings letter to Duke University, criticizing the school for using factors like personal essays and first-generation college status as proxies for race in admissions. Duke University responded by stating that it is reviewing the letter and remains dedicated to complying with the law while maintaining its academic mission.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, stated that using diversity essay questions to identify preferred races for admission constitutes illegal race discrimination. Since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, affirmative action in college admissions has been prohibited. The ruling allows colleges to consider applicants’ backgrounds in relation to broader characteristics, but President Trump has frequently accused colleges of using alternative methods to preserve racial diversity, considered illegal by conservatives.

Recent investigations by the department found that medical schools at UCLA and Yale University illegally considered race in admissions. In June, it initiated similar inquiries into 15 other medical schools. Previously, the Trump administration sought data from selective colleges on undergraduate admissions to ensure adherence to the Supreme Court’s decision.

The DOJ findings against Duke Law highlighted a higher admission likelihood for Black or Latino applicants compared to white or Asian applicants with equivalent academic credentials. It also noted that the median test scores of rejected white and Asian applicants in 2024 and 2025 surpassed those of admitted Black applicants. The Justice Department is aiming for a settlement with Duke Law.