DOJ accuses Duke Law of favoring Black applicants over white, Asian ones

The Department of Justice has formally accused Duke University School of Law of race-based discrimination in admissions, saying the school favored Black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian ones with similar academic records.

What the DOJ found

The Justice Department concluded an investigation into Duke Law, determining the school unlawfully discriminated against white and Asian applicants in admissions for its 2023, 2024 and 2025 incoming classes, violating the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that severely limited the use of race in college admissions.

The DOJ says Duke Law attempted to preserve racial outcomes by using proxies such as diversity essay questions and Pell grant recipient status to influence admissions decisions.

The numbers

Based on its own analysis, the Department found that the admitted median LSAT for Black applicants in 2024 was 164 and 170 for Hispanic applicants, while the admitted LSAT for Asian applicants was 173 and 172 for white applicants.

In 2024 and 2025, the median LSAT scores of rejected white and Asian applicants exceeded the median LSAT scores of admitted Black applicants. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said Black applicants had a 3.5 times higher chance of admission over Asian students with similar credentials.

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Duke response and next steps

“We are reviewing the letter and its conclusions carefully,” the school said in a statement, adding that “Duke is committed to complying with the law and will continue to do so in a manner that is consistent with our academic mission.”

The DOJ is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement to ensure compliance, and warned of enforcement action, including possible litigation, if a voluntary agreement is not met.

A broader crackdown

The DOJ issued nearly identical findings letters earlier this summer against medical schools at Yale University, UCLA and UC Davis, and in June said it was also investigating 15 other unnamed medical schools for alleged racial discrimination.

Affirmative action in college admissions has been illegal since a 2023 Supreme Court ruling, though the same ruling said colleges could continue to assess how applicants’ backgrounds might speak to broader characteristics — President Donald Trump has repeatedly accused colleges of using other proxies to maintain racial diversity.

Options market and stocks to watch

Duke is a private university, so there is no direct equity exposure, but the widening federal probe touches names with education, testing, and campus-facing revenue streams.

• COE (Coursera parent-adjacent education plays) — watch for sentiment shifts if federal scrutiny of elite programs continues to broaden.
• LOPE — watch for reaction as private higher-ed operators are compared against embattled peers.
• STRA — watch for flows if investors rotate toward for-profit and career-focused education names.
• PSON — watch for reaction given exposure to testing and assessment tied to admissions frameworks.

For more on this and other market-moving stories, keep an eye on the flow.

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