The United States Department of Justice alleged Thursday that the UCLA School of Law discriminated against white and Asian applicants in its admissions processes. 

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division claimed in a Thursday letter that UCLA Law violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars racial discrimination in programs receiving federal funding. The Justice Department alleged that the school rejected white and Asian applicants whose LSAT scores matched those of admitted Black and Hispanic applicants from 2023 to 2025, illegally considering race in its admissions.

Affirmative action has been illegal for California public institutions since Proposition 209 passed in 1996. 

“Like many of its peer institutions, UCLA Law School runs a two-tiered admissions system whose academic bar for acceptance shifts up or down depending on the color of your skin,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, in a Thursday press release.

The civil rights division asked UCLA in the letter to bring the school’s admissions practices into compliance with federal law. The DOJ said in the press release that it would file a lawsuit against the university if it does not comply.

UCLA School of Law said in an emailed statement that it is committed to following state and federal law, and the school evaluates applicants’ achievements and experiences through a merit-based review.

“We are confident in our process,” UCLA School of Law said in the statement.

The DOJ claimed in the letter that UCLA School of Law used personal statements and essay prompts to obtain information about applicants’ races. Admissions staff also allegedly instructed prospective applicants on how to disclose their races during recruitment events, including the annual School of Law Diversity Admissions Open House, according to the DOJ’s press release.

The Justice Department’s investigation is part of a series of legal disputes between UCLA and the federal government over the past year. The DOJ alleged in May that the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions.

The federal government also suspended half a billion dollars in UCLA’s research grants, alleging that the university allowed affirmative action practices, antisemitism and “men to participate in women’s sports.” A federal judge restored the bulk of the grants in August and September 2025. Chancellor Julio Frenk denied the federal government’s claims in a January Q&A with the Daily Bruin. 

[Related: DOJ alleges David Geffen School of Medicine illegally considered race in admissions]

“The use of race as a thumb on the scale that helps or disadvantages any student is illegal,” Dhillon said in the press release. “The Department will continue to enforce equal treatment under the law everywhere — including in our nation’s law schools.”