DOJ Finds Duke Law Used Race in Admissions, Threatens Lawsuit Over Higher Black and Hispanic Admit Rates
Updated
Updated · WTVD-TV · Aug 6
DOJ Finds Duke Law Used Race in Admissions, Threatens Lawsuit Over Higher Black and Hispanic Admit Rates
3 articles · Updated · WTVD-TV · Aug 6
Summary
A Justice Department civil rights probe concluded Duke Law intentionally used race in admissions and will seek a settlement before suing if talks fail.
Investigators said the school steered decisions with essay tags and applicant traits correlated with race, and found Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at substantially higher rates than similarly credentialed White and Asian applicants.
Duke said Thursday it is reviewing the findings letter and remains committed to complying with the law while pursuing its academic mission.
The admissions case follows a separate federal investigation opened last year into Duke Law's law journal selection practices and fits broader enforcement of the Supreme Court's 2023 ban on race-conscious admissions.
How can elite universities legally build diverse classes if socioeconomic indicators and diversity essays are now targeted as illegal racial proxies?
Will the federal crackdown on ostensibly race-neutral admissions tools force highly selective law schools to rely entirely on standardized test scores?