Justice Department Says Duke Law Admissions Discriminate By Race After 2023 Ruling
The Justice Department sent Duke Law School a six-page letter on Thursday, August 6, 2026, accusing its admissions process of discriminating against white and Asian applicants.[1]
Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet K. Dhillon said the department's analysis found Black and Hispanic applicants were much more likely to be admitted than white and Asian applicants with similar academic credentials.[1] DOJ said Duke relied on ostensibly race-neutral factors such as Pell Grant status and first-generation college status as proxies and cited a policy allowing consideration of how race affected applicants' lives.[1]
The department is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement to change Duke's admissions practices, part of a broader Trump administration push to tighten enforcement of the Supreme Court's 2023 affirmative action ruling.[1]
The Supreme Court's 2023 decision barred race-conscious admissions programs and reshaped how universities weigh race in admissions nationwide.
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📌 Key Facts
- On Thursday, August 6, 2026, DOJ sent Duke a six-page letter alleging racial discrimination in Duke Law School admissions.
- Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet K. Dhillon said DOJ’s data analysis found Black and Hispanic applicants were much more likely to be admitted than white and Asian applicants with similar academic credentials.
- DOJ claims Duke used “ostensibly race-neutral” factors like Pell Grant and first-generation status as race-related proxies, and cited a policy allowing consideration of how race affected applicants’ lives.
- DOJ is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement to change Duke’s admissions practices, extending a broader Trump administration campaign to tighten enforcement of the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ruling.
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