Justice Department says UCLA law school illegally used race in admissions; UCLA denies it
The Justice Department found that UCLA's law school discriminated against white and Asian applicants by favouring Black and Hispanic ones. The school says its process is merit-based and that it is confident in it.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Left · 1The Justice Department announced on Thursday 1 October 2026 that the law school at the University of California, Los Angeles, illegally considered race in admissions. The IndependentLC “The Justice Department found Thursday that the law school at the University of California, Los Angeles, illegally considered race in admissions.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Its investigation found the school discriminated against white and Asian American applicants by favouring Black and Hispanic applicants in its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes, and that the mean LSAT score was lower for admitted Black applicants than for admitted white applicants. The IndependentLC “discriminated against white and Asian American students by favoring Black and Hispanic applicants in its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes” Read at The Independent ↗ Right · 1In a letter to the university, the department alleged that UCLA Law "intentionally discriminated on the basis of race", in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. Just the NewsRC “intentionally discriminated on the basis of race,” in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” Read at Just the News ↗
Right · 1The department also alleges that UCLA Law rejected white and Asian applicants whose LSAT scores were comparable to those of admitted Black and Hispanic applicants, and that some white and Asian applicants with lower scores would have been admitted had they belonged to those groups. It says that in 2024 and 2025, half of admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores at or below 90% of the scores of admitted white applicants. Just the NewsRC “some white and Asian applicants with lower LSAT scores than admitted Black and Hispanic applicants would have been admitted if they belonged to those racial groups”“half of admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores at or below 90% of the scores of admitted white applicants” Read at Just the News ↗ Left · 1The department also said admissions staff instructed applicants during recruitment events, including one called the "Diversity Admissions Open House", on how to reveal their race in essays. The IndependentLC “admissions staff at the law school instructed applicants during recruitment efforts, including one called the “Diversity Admissions Open House,” how to reveal their race in essays” Read at The Independent ↗ Mixed · 2Harmeet Dhillon, head of the department's Civil Rights Division, said UCLA Law "runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin", adding that using race as a "thumb on the scale" is illegal. The IndependentLC “runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin” Read at The Independent ↗ Just the NewsRC “The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal.” Read at Just the News ↗
Mixed · 2UCLA Law denied the allegations. In a statement it said students are admitted through "a comprehensive, merit-based review process that considers each applicant's achievements and experiences" and that it is "confident in our process", and that it remains committed to complying with applicable law. The IndependentLC “We are confident in our process.” Read at The Independent ↗ Just the NewsRC “UCLA Law denied the allegations and said it remains committed to ensuring its admissions process complies with state and federal law.” Read at Just the News ↗ Left · 1The finding follows a similar one against UCLA's medical school. The administration has also accused the UC Berkeley law school and the University of California, San Diego medical school of illegally discriminating against white and Asian applicants, and has sued over the main UCLA campus's response to allegations of antisemitic harassment. The IndependentLC “The announcement follows a similar finding against the university's medical school”“The Trump administration also has sued over the main UCLA campus’s response to allegations of antisemitic harassment.” Read at The Independent ↗ Left · 1Affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, which said colleges could still assess how applicants' backgrounds speak to broader characteristics. President Donald Trump has accused colleges of using personal statements and other proxies to consider race, which conservatives view as illegal discrimination. California voters had already ended affirmative action in public college admissions in a 1997 ballot measure. The IndependentLC “Affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling forbade it.”“California voters ended affirmative action in college admissions in a 1997 ballot measure.” Read at The Independent ↗
Mixed · 2The department says it wants a voluntary resolution agreement to bring UCLA Law's admissions practices into legal compliance; if none is reached, legal action is possible. Just the NewsRC “The DOJ has stated that it wishes to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with UCLA Law” Read at Just the News ↗ The IndependentLC “or, if none can be reached, potential legal action” Read at The Independent ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Reports the department's finding as a news development within the Trump administration's wider scrutiny of university admissions, with context on the 2023 Supreme Court ruling and California's 1997 ballot measure.
- Emphasis
- Wider administration actions against UC campuses, the legal background, the Diversity Admissions Open House claim, and the UC system's earlier brief on the drop in minority enrolment after 1997.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give the 90% LSAT-score figure or the allegation that lower-scoring white and Asian applicants would have been admitted.
- For example
-
“comes as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up scrutiny of colleges' processes for selecting students” — The Independent
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Presents the story as the department's allegations of discrimination against white and Asian applicants, led by the LSAT-score comparison, and notes UCLA's denial.
- Emphasis
- Specific LSAT-score figures, the Title VI claim and the counterfactual about lower-scoring applicants.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the Diversity Admissions Open House, the similar findings or accusations against other UC schools, or the broader administration campaign.
- Charged language
- “thumb on the scale”
- For example
-
“The U.S. Department of Justice has alleged that the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants” — Just the News
What every side reports
- The Justice Department says UCLA's law school discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions.
- The department's Civil Rights Division head, Harmeet Dhillon, described a "two-tiered admissions system".
- UCLA Law says its admissions process is merit-based and that it is confident in it.
- The department wants a voluntary resolution with UCLA Law.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether UCLA Law illegally used race in admissions
- Left
- The Independent reports the department's finding as established in its headline, and carries UCLA's statement that it is confident in its process.
- Right
- Just the News frames it as an allegation ("DOJ alleges") and reports that UCLA Law denied it.
Department of Justice organisation
Says UCLA Law intentionally discriminated by race in 2023–2025 admissions in violation of Title VI and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, and wants a voluntary resolution agreement.
“to “ensure that admissions practices are brought into legal compliance.”” — Just the News
“runs a two-tiered admissions system” — The Independent
UCLA School of Law organisation
Denies the allegations, describing a merit-based review of each applicant's achievements and experiences, and says it is confident in its process and committed to following the law.
“Students are admitted through a comprehensive, merit-based review process” — The Independent
“UCLA Law denied the allegations” — Just the News
Left1 article
-
Justice Department finds UCLA law school illegally used race in admissions
Neutral Straight news report of the finding with administration and legal context, and UCLA's response.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
DOJ alleges UCLA Law School discriminated against white and Asian applicants
Neutral Leads with the department's LSAT-score allegations, framed as allegations, and includes UCLA's denial.
- 2 Oct 06:31 First The IndependentLC Justice Department finds UCLA law school illegally used race in admissions
- 3 Oct 04:10 +21h 39m Just the NewsRC DOJ alleges UCLA Law School discriminated against white and Asian applicants
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.