Father Uses AI to Pursue University Discrimination Lawsuits After Rejecting Legal Help
Nan Zhong, a Palo Alto resident, is suing four major universities for allegedly discriminating against his son in admissions decisions. Unable to find a law firm willing to take the case, he turned to artificial intelligence to build and argue the lawsuits himself.
The dispute centers on Stanley Zhong, who was rejected by 16 of 18 colleges in 2023 despite a 4.4 GPA and a 1590 SAT score. He was later hired as a software engineer at Google, where he received an outstanding impact rating in 2025.
Nan Zhong said the family spent a year discussing the rejections with University of California officials. A turning point came when a UC admissions director responded that racial discrimination allegations were unfounded because California law bans the practice.
"When I got that line, I kept scratching my head," Zhong said. "They're saying there cannot be any noncompliance if there's a law banning it, but we're exactly accusing them of breaking the law secretly."
After conversations with state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom produced no results, the family filed suits against the University of California, the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, and Cornell University. Zhong said dozens of law firms declined to represent them.
AI as a Substitute for Legal Counsel
With statutes of limitation approaching, the family decided to represent themselves and turned to AI. "It turned out to be a boon that we never anticipated to be so effective," Zhong said.
He uses multiple AI models simultaneously to analyze legal questions, compare answers, and catch errors. "It's like having a team of deep lawyers, top lawyers, all working for you," he said.
In the University of Washington case, a judge rejected the university's motion to stay the lawsuit. Zhong attributed the decision partly to Stanley's unusual legal position: because he never enrolled in college, he retains legal standing to pursue the claim, unlike students who progress to junior year.
Broader Context and Ongoing Effort
The legal environment has shifted since Stanley's rejections. The Supreme Court banned affirmative action in college admissions, and elite universities face increased scrutiny over their selection processes.
The family has launched a nonprofit called SWORD, Students Who Oppose Racial Discrimination, to advance the cause. They have spent significant personal funds and received some financial support through GoFundMe.
"We think we have a unique advantage, and we don't want to let that go," Zhong said.
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