WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — The Justice Department said Duke University School of Law intentionally used race in its admissions decisions for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes. The department said the practice violated federal civil rights law and a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bars race-based admissions in higher education.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced its findings after investigating Duke Law’s admissions process. The department said the law school placed a strong focus on racial diversity after the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. The ruling ended the use of race as a direct factor in college admissions.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said Duke Law cannot use diversity goals to justify racial discrimination. She said the school used essay responses and other applicant information to identify students who could help advance its diversity goals.
According to the Justice Department, Duke Law changed its mission statement after the Supreme Court ruling. The statement highlighted several goals, including equal justice, public service and a “diversity of perspective and experience.”
The law school also used short-answer questions in its application. Applicants could explain how they would support the school’s mission. Admissions reviewers then received instructions to “tag” certain responses.
One tag focused on diversity and service. Reviewers also tracked characteristics that the department said often correlate with race. Those characteristics included whether an applicant received a Pell Grant.
The Justice Department said Duke Law’s published policies claimed admissions reviewers did not see racial demographic information. However, investigators found that the school directed admissions staff to highlight information that could help advance its racial diversity goals.
The department said the practice produced significant differences in admission rates among racial groups. According to its findings, Black and Hispanic applicants had a substantially higher chance of admission than white and Asian applicants with similar academic credentials.
The department also pointed to differences in LSAT scores. In 2024 and 2025, the median LSAT scores of rejected white and Asian applicants exceeded the median scores of admitted Black applicants, according to the investigation.
The findings focus on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The law prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin by programs that receive federal financial assistance.
The Justice Department also cited the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. In that case, the court rejected the use of race-conscious admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
The Duke Law investigation comes as the Justice Department increases scrutiny of race-based admissions policies at colleges and universities. Federal officials have said schools must follow Title VI and the Supreme Court’s ruling.
The department said it will continue to monitor schools that receive federal funding. When investigators find violations, the department plans to seek settlements with the institutions. These agreements would require schools to change their admissions practices and comply with federal law.
If settlement talks fail, the Justice Department said it could file a lawsuit.
