The Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law of discriminating against White and Asian applicants while favoring Black applicants, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The finding follows a compliance review initiated in March 2025, approximately two years after the Supreme Court significantly curtailed race-conscious admissions policies.
The DOJ's analysis, released in October 2025, indicated that Black applicants had "5.8 times higher odds of admission than comparable white applicants." The department also cited an analysis of LSAT scores for admitted students in 2024 and 2025, which found that 37% of admitted Black applicants scored below 99% of admitted White applicants. Half of the school's admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores below 95% of those of admitted White applicants.
Median LSAT scores from 2021 through 2025 reportedly showed a consistent disparity, with median scores for Black admits around 165, compared to around 172 for Asian and White admits, and 169 for Hispanic admits. "The median Black admit consistently has an LSAT score about 5 points lower than the median white or Asian admits," the DOJ stated.
As of October 2025, Berkeley Law had 1,128 students enrolled, with 516 identifying as White, 293 as Asian, 51 as Black, and 130 as Hispanic.
Berkeley Law has rejected the DOJ's allegations, asserting that its admissions decisions comply with federal law and California's Proposition 209, which banned affirmative action in public education in 1996. The university stated that admissions policies do not consider race, but can consider race-neutral factors such as socioeconomic status and personal experiences to build a diverse student body.
"Our admissions policy is clear that race is not considered in any way in admissions decisions," a spokesperson for Berkeley Law said. "Proposition 209, federal statutes, and the Supreme Court’s decisions do not preclude schools from pursuing diversity so long as they give no preferences based on race. Berkeley Law does not do so."
UC Berkeley's central administration echoed this commitment, stating the university ensures students are admitted based on merit, not race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. The school indicated it would provide substantial evidence to demonstrate its compliance with all relevant laws and policies.