Overview
- The Justice Department announced on Thursday, August 6, 2026 that its Civil Rights Division concluded Duke University School of Law intentionally discriminated by race in admissions for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 entering classes.
- The department said Duke used mission‑focused short‑answer prompts and instructed reviewers to ‘‘tag’’ responses and applicant traits such as Pell status or first‑generation status that are commonly correlated with race.
- DOJ analysis found measurable disparities in outcomes, including that in 2024 and 2025 the median LSAT scores of rejected white and Asian applicants exceeded the median LSAT scores of admitted Black applicants.
- The department is seeking a voluntary resolution to bring Duke Law into compliance and has warned it will file suit if settlement talks do not secure changes to admissions practices.
- Duke said it is reviewing the findings and committed to follow the law, and the action adds to a wider federal enforcement push that could prompt new admissions rules, oversight, and legal risk for selective professional schools.