The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission asks for data from 20 law firms about work practices to increase diversity, equity and inclusion that the federal agency warns can be illegal.
The acting chairman of the committee, Andrea Lucas, sent letters to the companies that were detailed information in search of dei programs that may be contrary to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin.
Some companies have made legal challenges for the president Donald Trump’s Policy aimed at dei or has connections with its political opponents. Perkins Coie; Hogan Lovells; Ropes and gray; And Wilmerhale are among the companies that currently represent claimants in lawsuits against the Trump government.
Lucas said that some of the companies had made public statements that had pronounced their dedication to diversity in their workforce. At least two of the companies had numerical goals for recruiting lawyers based on their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity.
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The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission requires data from 20 law firms about work practices about diversity, equity and inclusion. (Getty Images)
She expressed concern that the working methods of the companies “can with an illegal disease in terms, conditions and privileges of employment, or unlawful limiting, segregating and classification” based on race, sex and other protected characteristics.
“The EEOC is willing to eradicate discrimination where he can raise his head, also in the elite law firms of our nation,” Lucas said in a statement. “Nobody is above the law – and certainly not the private bar.”
The letters asked for information about the internships, fairs and fellowships that the companies offer to law students, as well as the recruitment and compensation practices of the companies.
Lucas also asked for the name, sex and race of every lawyer who worked at or has worked applied for a job At the companies since 2019 and if each of them participated in diversity programs.
Part of the information was asked to be included in a “searchable Excel spreadsheet.”
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The acting chairman of the EEOC, Andrea Lucas, sent letters to the companies that were looking for detailed information about Dei programs that may be contrary to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (Andrew Harrer/Getty images)
The EEOC can investigate the work practices of companies and submit lawsuits for accusations of discrimination, but only after an employee or one of the five supervisory directors of the Agency has a formal complaint. The agency gave no indications that Lucas had filed complaints against one of the companies.
Trump has tried to eliminate Dei programs throughout the country, including in the federal government, higher education and the private sector.
The president has also taken action against controversial law firms about their dei practices.
This month Trump issued manager command on Perkins Coie and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison on the alleged discriminatory internal diversity policy of the two companies and earlier work for his political opponents. The orders have withdrawn the safety resources for lawyers at the companies and limited their government access and federal contract work.
The order focused on Perkins Coie has also instructed Lucas to revise the practices of representative large, influential or leading law firms, “although the committee was designed to operate independently of the White House.
President Donald Trump has tried to eliminate Dei programs throughout the country, including in the federal government, higher education and the private sector.
(Getty Images)
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Perkins Coie complained to accusations that the order has violated its rights within the framework of the US Constitution. Last week, a judge temporarily blocked parts of the order.
Some companies have previously adopted the policy to encourage diversity of them Outside law firms.
Lucas asked for law firms to identify customers since 2019 who have had “diversity requirements” or preferences for staff staff. She also asked for the actions of the companies in response to customer requirements, including the production of related documents.
Reuters has contributed to this report.
