Justice Department Accuses Duke Law School of Racial Discrimination in Admissions

The Justice Department has accused Duke University’s law school of unlawfully considering race during their admissions process. This accusation follows actions from the Trump administration against educational institutions allegedly violating anti-discrimination rulings. In a findings letter, the department claimed that Duke Law used factors like personal essays and whether an applicant was a first-generation college student as indirect stand-ins for race, despite claims of race-neutral admissions.

Duke Law, located in Durham, North Carolina, responded by stating they are reviewing the letter and are dedicated to complying with the law in alignment with their academic objectives. The Assistant Attorney General, Harmeet K. Dhillon, remarked in a press release that Duke cannot justify discrimination against white and Asian applicants under the guise of pursuing diversity, labeling ‘diversity’ essay questions as illegal if used to identify preferred racial groups.

The practice of affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal following a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which allowed for the evaluation of applicants’ backgrounds relevant to broader personal traits. However, President Trump has accused colleges of using alternative methods to uphold racial diversity, seen by conservatives as illegal. The department previously determined that UCLA and Yale University’s medical schools were also in violation of the law, and investigations into 15 other medical schools are ongoing.

In its findings concerning Duke Law, the DOJ reported that Black and Latino applicants had higher admission rates than white and Asian applicants with comparable academic credentials. Additionally, it noted that the median test scores of white and Asian applicants who were rejected in 2024 and 2025 exceeded those of admitted Black applicants. The department is aiming to reach a settlement with Duke Law.