Duke Law discrimination is at the center of new allegations by the U.S. Department of Justice, which says the school intentionally considered race in admissions over the last three cycles to increase enrollment of Black and Hispanic students.
According to a Justice Department news release, the agency contends the law school violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ran afoul of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling that invalidated race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.
Duke Law discrimination cited over essays and mission
The department’s Civil Rights Division, led by Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, said in a Thursday statement that using so-called diversity essays to identify preferred races for admission remains unlawful race-based discrimination. Dhillon said the department intends to root out such practices, including at law schools.
In a six-page letter dated Aug. 6 and signed by Dhillon, the department said Duke’s mission statement was revised to emphasize building and sustaining a legal profession committed to values such as equal justice, public service and a diversity of perspective and experience. Reviewers were allegedly instructed to flag application essays related to diversity and to note Pell Grant recipients, which the letter said is commonly correlated with race.
The letter also cited admissions data from 2018 through 2025. It said that in 2024, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted with lower LSAT scores, listed as 164 and 170, respectively, while Asian and white applicants were admitted with LSAT scores of 173 and 172, respectively. The department added that the median LSAT scores of denied Asian and white applicants in the 2024-2025 cycle exceeded the median LSAT scores of admitted Black applicants.
Based on its findings, the department said it determined Duke Law deliberately discriminated on the basis of race in admissions decisions. It is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement with the university to bring the school’s practices into compliance with federal law.
Duke University School of Law said it is evaluating the department’s letter and conclusions. In a statement, the school said it remains committed to following the law while advancing its academic mission, which comes as the Supreme Court international law stance draws sharp scrutiny in other areas.