The Seattle Times The Seattle Times
UCLA Law's admissions call race into question after federal review
The Justice Department's finding that UCLA Law illegally considered race in admissions is a big deal, and not just because of the legal jargon. It's the kind of news that makes you stop mid-coffee and go, "Oh, so that's how the system actually works." The feds reviewed the school's process and concluded it crossed a line that's supposed to be pretty clear. That's not a small oops. That's a structural problem. I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not pretending to be one. But I do know that when you're building something, whether it's a study group or a law school class, you want it to feel intentional, not like you're just checking boxes to hit a number. The Justice Department says UCLA didn't just stumble here. They say the school made a choice, and that choice was to factor in race in a way that wasn't legal. That's a heavy weight to carry, especially for a public institution. What bugs me is the ripple effect. Every student who applied thinking the process was fair deserves better. Every student who got in on merit deserves to not have that questioned. And every student who didn't get in deserves to know the rules were followed. Right now, that trust is shaky. If you want to see how messy these conversations get on the ground, our piece on Cornell's handling of a rape case shows how institutions fumble when they're not transparent.
