UC Berkeley Law Accused of Illegal Race-Based Admissions

Federal civil rights officials have alleged that the University of California, Berkeley School of Law illegally used race, essay prompts, and identity-related application practices in its admissions process for the 2024 and 2025 entering classes. The Justice and Education departments announced their investigative findings Wednesday, marking the latest action by the administration targeting diversity initiatives in higher education. According to the Justice Department, its analysis indicated that Black applicants had 5.8 times higher odds of admission than comparable white applicants in 2025. The departments stated that the law school's practices deliberately favored Black applicants and discriminated against white and Asian candidates, violating federal law. UC Berkeley Law Dean Erwin Chemerinsky and university administrators have strongly denied the allegations. They maintain that race is not considered in admissions decisions and that the university system complies with all applicable state and federal laws, including Proposition 209, California's ban on race-based affirmative action in public institutions.