November 12, 2004

Does Affirmative Action Hurt Black Law Students?

A new study that challenges a 'cherished' admissions practice has critics lining up for a rebuttal

By KATHERINE S. MANGAN

Affirmative action hurts black law students more than it helps them by bumping applicants up into law schools where they are more likely to earn poor grades, drop out, and fail their states' bar exams, according to a forthcoming study by a law professor at the University of California at Los Angeles.

The author, Richard H. Sander, argues that ending racial preferences in law-school admissions would increase the number of black lawyers because it would help ensure that students attend