DOJ civil rights division findings letter accuses Duke Law of unlawful racial discrimination in admissions

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has concluded an investigation into Duke University School of Law admissions and, in a findings letter released Thursday, determined the school unlawfully discriminated against white and Asian applicants, according to a report by The Hill.

The report says the department’s investigation focused on Duke Law’s admission decisions for three past incoming classes and that DOJ found the law school took “racial diversity” into consideration when admitting students.

The Hill reported that DOJ’s findings letter addresses alleged discrimination affecting both white and Asian applicants, characterizing the admissions approach as unlawful under federal civil-rights statutes the Civil Rights Division enforces.

The report did not indicate that DOJ has filed a lawsuit or pursued criminal charges, and it describes the department’s action as the issuance of findings from its investigation rather than a court filing.

Duke Law and Duke University were not described in the report’s summary as having publicly agreed with the DOJ’s conclusions. The Hill’s account presents the DOJ determination as the latest federal review of race considerations in higher-education admissions.

The Civil Rights Division typically uses findings letters to formalize the agency’s conclusions after fact-gathering, and the next practical steps for any institution can include negotiations, voluntary remediation efforts, or disputes over the department’s legal analysis and factual record.

If DOJ’s allegations are contested, the dispute could shift to administrative or judicial processes depending on whether the parties seek further agency action or challenge the determination in court.