Duke Law Journal applicants were favored for editorial positions in accordance with their racial identity and were even encouraged to emphasize their race during the admissions process.

Though students are broadly evaluated by their grades and twelve-page casenotes submitted as they seek positions at the student publication, a packet provided to minority student affinity groups told students to emphasize their race and sex in their personal statements, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon.

The packet also included a rubric used to score the personal statements, information which was only provided to students who are members of the affinity groups. The recipients were told not to share the packet with others.

The document showed students four different personal statements submitted to the Duke Law Journal by successful applicants, with three of the four mentioning race in the very first sentence.

Members of the Supreme Court previously ruled against affirmative action, noting that colleges cannot use essays to discriminate according to race. As noted by the Washington Free Beacon, the Duke Law Journal is wholly overseen by Duke Law School.

Duke Law Journal editor-in-chief Gabriela Nagle Alverio received her undergraduate degree in gender studies from Stanford University and previously worked as a diversity consultant for an entity called Inclusion Design Group.

The report comes as the Trump administration seeks to address discrimination according to race and sex among colleges, in many cases launching investigations over policies that favor certain minority groups.