The U.S. Equal Employment Alternative Fee is requesting knowledge from 20 legislation corporations about employment practices to extend variety, fairness and inclusion, which the federal company warns could also be unlawful.
The fee’s performing chair, Andrea Lucas, despatched letters to the corporations searching for detailed data on DEI packages that could be in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination primarily based on race, coloration, faith, intercourse and nationwide origin.
Among the corporations have made authorized challenges to President Donald Trump’s insurance policies concentrating on DEI or have connections to his political opponents. Perkins Coie; Hogan Lovells; Ropes & Grey; and WilmerHale are among the many corporations presently representing plaintiffs in lawsuits in opposition to the Trump administration.
Lucas mentioned a number of the corporations had made public statements expressing their dedication to variety of their workforces. No less than two of the corporations had numerical objectives for recruiting legal professionals primarily based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender id.
TRUMP EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION PUTS EMPLOYERS ‘ON NOTICE’ TO STOP ‘ANTI-AMERICAN BIAS’
The U.S. Equal Employment Alternative Fee is requesting knowledge from 20 legislation corporations about employment practices on variety, fairness and inclusion. (Getty Photos)
She expressed concern that the corporations’ employment practices “might entail illegal disparate remedy in phrases, circumstances, and privileges of employment, or illegal limiting, segregating, and classifying” primarily based on race, intercourse and different protected traits.
“The EEOC is ready to root out discrimination wherever it could rear its head, together with in our nation’s elite legislation corporations,” Lucas mentioned in an announcement. “Nobody is above the legislation—and definitely not the personal bar.”
The letters requested details about the internships, scholarships and fellowships the corporations provide to legislation college students, in addition to the corporations’ hiring and compensation practices.
Lucas additionally requested for the title, intercourse and race of each lawyer who has labored at or utilized for a job at one of many corporations since 2019 and needed to know if every of them participated in variety packages.
Among the data was requested to be included in a “searchable Excel spreadsheet.”
‘UNLAWFUL DEI-MOTIVATED’ WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION TO BE ROOTED OUT BY TRUMP’S NEW ACTING EEOC CHAIR
The EEOC’s performing chair, Andrea Lucas, despatched letters to the corporations searching for detailed data on DEI packages that could be in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Andrew Harrer/Getty Photos)
The EEOC can examine corporations’ employment practices and file lawsuits over allegations of discrimination, however solely after a employee or one of many company’s 5 commissioners brings a proper grievance. The company gave no indication that Lucas had filed complaints in opposition to any of the corporations.
Trump has sought to get rid of DEI packages throughout the nation, together with within the federal authorities, larger training and the personal sector.
The president has additionally taken motion in opposition to high-profile legislation corporations over their DEI practices.
Trump issued govt orders this month concentrating on Perkins Coie in addition to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison over the 2 corporations’ alleged discriminatory inside variety insurance policies and former work for his political opponents. The orders revoked safety clearances for legal professionals on the corporations and restricted their authorities entry and federal contracting work.
The order concentrating on Perkins Coie additionally directed Lucas to “overview the practices of consultant massive, influential, or industry-leading legislation corporations” though the fee was designed to function independently of the White Home.
President Donald Trump has sought to get rid of DEI packages throughout the nation, together with within the federal authorities, larger training and the personal sector. (Getty Photos)
Perkins Coie sued on allegations that the order violated its rights below the U.S. Structure. A choose briefly blocked elements of the order final week.
Some corporations have beforehand adopted insurance policies to encourage variety from their exterior legislation corporations.
Lucas, within the letters, requested legislation corporations to determine purchasers since 2019 which have had “variety necessities” or said preferences for worker staffing. She additionally requested for the corporations’ actions in response to the shopper necessities, together with producing associated paperwork.
Reuters contributed to this report.
