The Department of Justice (DOJ) has ordered every U.S. law school to halt diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) admissions practices, with Attorney General Pam Bondi stating, “We have come too far as a nation to allow the abominable practice of discrimination on the basis of one’s race to continue.”
In a memorandum to all American law school deans and admissions officers obtained by Breitbart News, Bondi condemned the American Bar Association’s (ABA) DEI standards and emphasized President Donald Trump’s January executive order to restore “merit-based opportunity.”
The ABA voted last month to suspend enforcement of Standard 206 until August 31 while revising its standards to align with legal developments and forthcoming guidance from the Department of Education. However, with Trump’s recent executive order calling for the dissolution of the Department of Education, the ABA’s path forward remains uncertain.
Bondi has made it clear that the only acceptable outcome is the complete repeal of Standard 206, stating that it encourages unlawful discrimination. The ABA responded by assuring the DOJ that it “will not require a law school to violate the law to comply with its accreditation standards” and acknowledged that its federal recognition as an accrediting agency is a privilege, not a right.
While the DOJ monitors the ABA’s actions, Bondi has warned law school administrators that race-based admissions practices are illegal, even if implemented voluntarily. Citing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, Bondi reiterated that “eliminating racial discrimination means eliminating all of it.”
A DOJ official told Breitbart News that Bondi’s memorandum represents a crucial step in removing harmful DEI practices from American institutions and ensuring that the legal system is built on merit.
