Trump administration accuses prestigious law school of favoring Black applicants over White, Asian peers

The Trump administration on Wednesday blasted the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law for allegedly favoring Black applicants while discriminating against Asian and White students, marking its latest federal action targeting race-conscious admissions policies at universities.

The Department of Justice (DOJ), along with the Department of Education, found Berkeley Law in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination in programs and activities receiving federal funds.

"The data produced by Berkeley Law demonstrates a strong bias against Asian and White applicants, with a corresponding bias in favor of Black applicants," the DOJ said.

The findings came after officials launched a compliance review of Berkeley Law in March 2025, roughly two years after the Supreme Court struck a major blow to affirmative action programs many universities used in admissions for decades. California had already banned affirmative action in public education under Proposition 209, enacted in 1996.

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According to the DOJ's analysis, Black applicants in 2025 had "5.8 times higher odds of admission than comparable white applicants."

An analysis of LSAT scores for admitted students in 2024 and 2025 found that 37% of Black admitted applicants scored below 99% of admitted White applicants.

In addition, half of the school's admitted Black applicants had LSAT scores "below 95% of the admitted white applicants."

According to figures cited by the DOJ, median LSAT scores from 2021 through 2025 showed a persistent disparity between racial groups, with Black admits scoring around 165. Asian and White admits scored around 172, while Hispanic admits had median scores around 169.

"The median Black admit consistently has an LSAT score about 5 points lower than the median white or Asian admits," the department said in a letter to attorney Tania Faransso, who is representing the law school.

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As of October 2025, Berkeley Law had 1,128 students enrolled. Of those, 516 were White, 293 were Asian, 51 were Black and 130 were Hispanic.

In a statement to Fox News, Berkeley Law firmly rejected the allegations, saying its admissions decisions comply with federal law and Proposition 209.

However, the school noted that the laws still allow institutions to build diverse student bodies by considering race-neutral factors, which can include socioeconomic status and personal experiences.

"Our admissions policy is clear that race is not considered in any way in admissions decisions," the school 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 also said the school is "committed to ensuring that every student is admitted based on their merit, and not on their race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin."

"UC Berkeley will spare no effort to provide ample evidence showing that the university complies with all relevant laws, policies and rules governing admissions," the school said.