The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services are investigating allegations of “race-based bias permeating the journal’s operations,” according to the U.S. Department of Education and Harvard Law Review, a student-run book.
The investigation, which was made public on April 28, cites claims that the editor of Harvard Law Review allegedly said it was” concerning” that” [f ] our five people” who wanted to respond to an article about police reform are” white men.”
According to a media release from the education ministry, “another HLR director suggested that a piece may be subject to expedited assessment because the writer was a majority.”
The planning of opportunities or reputation based on race may prevent other students from receiving education opportunities to which they would become entitled by merit, which is unacceptable for recipients of national funding, it said.
The post selection process at Harvard Law Review appears to favor winners and losers based on race, according to acting associate director for legal privileges Craig Trainor in a statement.
The latest salvo in a row between the Trump presidency and Harvard.
The Ivy League university has filed a complaint alleging that the management overstepped its authority by halting$ 2.2 billion in funding and has refused to comply with management needs to rein in richness, equity, and inclusion efforts and crack down on hatred. Trump is also threatening to withdraw the college’s tax-exempt position.
According to the Washington Free Beacon, which entirely reviewed eight distinct inside documents describing reported discrimination at the journal, the Harvard Law Review has “incorporated race into almost every stage of its article selection process, which as a matter of policy considers “both meaningful and Della factors.”
Editors frequently kill or enhance articles that are based in part on the author’s race, with one editor actually referring to an author’s competition as a “negative” when recommending that his post been cut from consideration, according to the Beacon, citing the memos.
The “editors argued that an writer’s majority standing counted in favor of publishing their content” was stated in these files. One 2024 letter states that the artist is a woman of color. This fits a lot of our needs!
A “holistic assessment commission” that places culture, gender identity, and sexual orientation as its” first focus” also reported that some law book members are chosen by The Beacon.
In addition, the records indicate that the evaluation” continued using culture after the Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action in June 2023, implementing some La actions within the past time.”
Anthony Archeval, acting director of the HHS Office for Civil Rights, stated that this is a significant issue in the press release from the federal agencies.
” Law journal membership and publication are significant accomplishments that foster the advancement of law students ‘ careers and shape legal scholarship,” he said. This investigation reflects the administration’s consensus that merit-based standards, not race, should be used to obtain these opportunities.
The Harvard Law Review’s decision to award a$ 65,000 fellowship to Ibrahim Bharmal, a law student and Review editor who was accused of assaulting an Israeli classmate during a protest in October 2023, is causing even more controversy.
He was ordered to do 80 hours of community service and enroll in an anger management course” as part of a pretrial diversion program that will bring an end to the case,” according to the Beacon.
The College Fix was not commentable by Harvard Law Review.
Law reviews have a significant influence on law students and their future careers, according to Boston Law. The publications also teach law students how to write and conduct research, which contributes to shaping the legal field’s future. Being a member of a law journal greatly aids students ‘ transition into the legal system.
The issues alleged at Harvard Law Review, according to Benjamin Ogilvie, a law student at the University of Chicago who found discrimination based on political affiliation at three of the nation’s top law journal, echo what he has discovered elsewhere. Additionally, Gibson had examined Columbia and Northwestern universities.
In an email interview with The College Fix, Ogilvie said,” I am completely unsurprised by allegations that the Harvard Law Review is engaging in racial discrimination in the name of DEI.”
According to him, “law reviews have two chances to make a distinction between the staff members they choose and the articles they publish.”
According to Ogilvie, law journals choose their staff members based on first-year grades, writing performance, and a “personal statement” that can serve as a way to practice and promote DEI.
” Law reviews are looser about how they choose articles than staff, and I’m not surprised to see DEI favoritism here, which probably happens at most law reviews,” he told The Fix.
The decision to publish an article in a top-tier journal is subject to change, and it can greatly advance a professor’s career. According to him, progressive staffers are frequently eager to offer that benefit to “underrepresented” faculty in order to advance their careers.
MORE: Top law schools appear to be smacked by conservative students
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: A picture of Donald Trump superimposed over a building at Harvard.
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