The Justice Department has accused Duke University’s law school of unlawfully using race in admissions decisions. This marks a continued effort by the Trump administration to scrutinize higher education institutions. According to a findings letter from the department, administrators at Duke claimed to uphold race-neutral admissions. However, they allegedly used other criteria, like personal essays and first-generation college status, to indirectly consider race.
Duke’s law school stated in an email that they are reviewing the department’s letter. The school emphasizes its commitment to legal compliance in a way that aligns with its academic goals.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, commented in a news release. She stated that Duke Law School should not engage in racial discrimination under the guise of having noble intentions. She highlighted that using ‘diversity’ essay prompts to influence admissions decisions based on race constitutes illegal discrimination.
Since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, affirmative action in college admissions is no longer allowed. The ruling permits colleges to consider the impact of an applicant’s background, but President Trump has accused institutions of using indirect methods to sustain racial diversity, which conservatives view as unlawful.
Similarly, the department recently determined that medical schools at UCLA and Yale University had also engaged in illegal racial considerations in admissions. In June, investigations into 15 more medical schools commenced.
Previously, the Trump administration has focused on undergraduate admissions at selective colleges. Officials demanded data to ensure compliance with the Supreme Court’s decision.
The DOJ’s findings regarding Duke Law revealed disproportionate acceptance rates for Black or Latino applicants compared to White or Asian applicants with the same academic qualifications. The department stated that, in 2024 and 2025, the median law school test scores for rejected White and Asian applicants surpassed those of accepted Black applicants.
The department aims to reach a settlement with Duke Law to address these issues.