Diversity at Boalt Hall

In response to “How to Be Affirmative but Not Discriminate,” editorial, Oct. 7:

Your editorial on the Office of Civil Rights’ finding that UC Berkeley’s law school is violating the law, asks, “Is the social gain--ethnic and other diversity in the legal profession--worth any sacrifice in the meritocratic ideal?” Your answer is yes. But there is a corroborative factor you have missed.

After 40 years as a college admission officer I can testify that the criteria for appraising merit are far from precise. There is no way to make better than vaguely approximate predictions of college or law school performance from test scores, grades, recommendations and interviews. Who knows which apparently well-prepared child of privilege will collapse in the face of new challenge or which child of adversity will triumph?

Clearly school officials may adopt ethnic or social diversity as a goal for their student body without defying the meritocratic ideal.

EMERY WALKER

Pomona