Equal Employment Opportunity Commission targets law firms over DEI practices

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has sent letters to 20 top law firms demanding information about their employment practices, a sign it plans to target their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.

The letter from acting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, appointed by President Trump the day after his inauguration, said firms’ efforts to diversify their workforce could violate employment laws.

“The EEOC is prepared to root out discrimination anywhere it may rear its head, including in our nation’s elite law firms,” Lucas said in a statement.

“No one is above the law — and certainly not the private bar.”

The letter is the first major action from the EEOC targeting DEI programs, coming at a time where Trump critics fear the administration will turn the agency on its head. The commission was designed to investigate workplace discrimination claims, including those based on race, age and sex. Many of those complaints have traditionally focused on employment practices that exclude minorities.

It also comes as the Trump administration has singled out law firms for their past work, using executive orders to strip a security clearance from one attorney at Covington & Burling. A broader order targeting Perkins Coie stripped the firm’s clearances and included language that would largely bar its attorneys from federal buildings. Perkins Coie has sued over the executive order.

While Covington & Burling was not among the 20 firms contacted by the EEOC, Perkins Coie was, and the firm did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump on his first full day in office signed an executive order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to organize a list of private-sector companies that are among “the most egregious and discriminatory DEI practitioners.”

Other actions taken by Lucas since her appointment include a directive to focus its gender discrimination work on “defend[ing] the biological and binary reality of sex and related rights, including women’s rights to single-sex spaces at work.”

She also said she would work to “protect American workers from anti-American bias” and accused some employers of having “policies and practices preferring illegal aliens.”

1d 12:42 PM ET ago

Topics

Law firm sues Trump administration after executive order targeting its attorneys

Perkins Coie has filed suit against the Trump administration over an executive order that targeted the firm for its work representing Clinton's 2016 campaign.
ABC News - Mar. 11
Trump Targeting Law Firms Raises Constitutional Concerns

The way Trump targeted the firms could go against of the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment.
Inc. - Mar. 9
Judge blocks 'unlawful' Trump order targeting Clinton 2016 law firm

A federal judge entered an emergency order barring the Trump administration from implementing parts of its executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie.
ABC News - Mar. 12
Trump’s battle with Washington law firm Perkins Coie, explained

The battle between President Trump and a prominent Washington law firm has taken a new turn this week, as a judge intervenes to pause Trump’s actions. The controversy kicked off when Trump targeted ...
The Hill - 5d
Trump’s Anti-DEI Effort Leads to Investigations at Dozens of Universities

The Department of Education announced investigations in a memo warning schools over DEI practices.
Inc. - 3d
Corporate DEI Policies Can Create Problems Not Seen by Many Smaller Businesses

A report on problems with Morgan Stanley’s DEI program contrasts with the success of small businesses’ equality and inclusion practices — and their strong defense of them amid rising political ...
Inc. - 12h
It’s time corporate attorneys shifted from defense to offense on DEI

Corporate America is under attack from political pressure to dismantle DEI programs, despite them being fully lawful under existing employment laws, and corporations need to recognize this and ...
The Hill - 9h
Judge blocks parts of Trump executive order targeting law firm Perkins Coie

U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell issued a temporary restraining order that stops three parts of Trump's executive order from being implemented against the law firm Perkins Coie.
CBS News - Mar. 12
European Commission raids drinks groups over possible competition law breaches

Officials said that suspected breaches in the ‘non-alcoholic drinks sector’ could still be ongoing
Financial Times - Mar. 10
Trump signs executive order targeting 3rd law firm

President Donald Trump signed an executive order suspending security clearances of Mark Pomerantz and those who work at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
ABC News - 4d
Perkins Coie sues over Trump's order stripping security clearances

Law firm Perkins Coie has launched a suit to challenge President Trump’s stripping of security clearances for lawyers at the firm, saying it was targeted due to its past work for Democrats. Perkins ...
The Hill - Mar. 11
7 Former EEOC Officials Condemn the Agency’s Anti-DEI Probe of 20 Major Law Firms

In a letter addressed to acting chair Andrea Lucas, the former staffers urge the EEOC to withdraw its demands for specific demographic information related to diversity programs.
Inc. - 10h
Private equity wants a larger piece of the $12.5 trillion workplace retirement plan market

With the new Trump administration, private equity firms see a greater opportunity in the $12.5 trillion in assets in employer-sponsored retirement plans.
CNBC - Mar. 11
Trump’s Big Law crackdown sends chill through legal industry

Executive orders encompass firms’ diversity policies as well targeting those who acted for his opponents
Financial Times - Mar. 12
Trump pulls security clearance of Paul Weiss law firm

President Trump has continued his attack against prominent law firms, pulling the security clearances of attorneys at New York-based Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP (Paul Weiss), and ...
The Hill - 4d
Simpson Thacher fined £362,000 over anti-money laundering failures

US law firm agrees settlement with England’s legal regulator over failings in London office
Financial Times - Mar. 12
Sen. Lindsey Graham rebukes lawyers who defended Trump foes: "I hope they pay a price"

President Trump has targeted several law firms by terminating security clearances and other executive actions.
CBS News - 3d
Amazon sues Consumer Product Safety Commission over recall order

Amazon is suing the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission for finding the e-commerce giant legally responsible for the recalls of hundreds of thousands of products sold on its site
ABC News - 5h
Americans deeply divided over DEI programs: Survey

Americans are deeply divided over diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, with significant differences emerging depending on voters' political affiliation, according to a survey published ...
The Hill - 1d
Judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump order targeting Perkins Coie

A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily froze parts of President Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, which claims its past work for Democrats made it a subject of ...
The Hill - Mar. 12
Watch MSU hoops practice ahead of NCAA Tournament matchup vs. Bryant

Fans will have the opportunity to watch Michigan State basketball practice on Thursday afternoon
Yahoo Sports - 12h
Trump’s Revenge on Law Firms Seen as Undermining Justice System

The president’s use of government power to punish firms is seen by some legal experts as undercutting a basic tenet: the right to a strong legal defense.
The New York Times - Mar. 12
Top Law Firms Defend Overhaul of America’s Business Court

After backlash from Elon Musk and companies like Meta, Big Law is publicly supporting a bill seeking to reform the Delaware Court of Chancery.
The New York Times - Mar. 11
Vance's mother-in-law pushed for DEI at her California university, CBS News finds

The Trump administration has been steadfast in its opposition to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. A CBS News investigation finds that those anti-DEI positions conflict with the work ...
CBS News - Mar. 12
Rookie Baylor Scheierman delivers career night for Celtics in win over Nets

As a rookie on the defending NBA champions, Baylor Scheierman knows he has limited opportunities to make much of an impression outside of practice. Scheierman got an opportunity Tuesday night and ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
HUD rejects Asheville's Helene recovery plan because of its DEI targets

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rejected Hurricane Helene repair efforts in Asheville, N.C., because the city’s proposed recovery plan features a diversity, equity and ...
The Hill - Mar. 11
Pulisic equals career-best goal tally in Milan win

Christian Pulisic equaled his career-best goal tally in a single season with his 15th goal of the campaign in AC Milan's 2-1 win over Como on Saturday.
ESPN - 3d
Appeals court reinstates portions of Trump’s DEI orders

A federal appeals court Friday reinstated portions of President Trump’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs that were blocked by a lower court. The unanimous ...
The Hill - 5d
Retailers risk multibillion-pound bill as UK equal pay claims gain momentum

Decades after a key campaign by women at Ford’s Dagenham plant, recent rulings have been going against employers
Financial Times - Mar. 11
Trump and DOGE Create Anxiety but Opportunity for Federal Contractors

By cutting federal employees, the Trump administration may increase its reliance on firms that take in billions through government contracts.
The New York Times - 5d
Rangers 'running on adrenaline' in Old Firm clash - Halliday

Thursday night's Europa League victory over Fenerbahce won't have any bearing on Sunday's Old Firm, says former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday. Despite taking a 3-1 league into the second leg at ...
Yahoo Sports - 4d
Italian government approves draft law targeting femicide, with punishment up to life in prison

The Italian government has approved a draft law that for the first time introduces the legal definition of femicide in the country’s criminal law and punishes it with life imprisonment
ABC News - Mar. 8
US law firms’ London expansion drives record number of job moves

Partner hires on track to hit record high after 155 senior lawyers take new roles in the first two months of 2025
Financial Times - Mar. 9
The law must not bend to Trump’s crusade of political retribution

Lawyers must not sit on the sidelines as firms and judges are attacked merely for doing their jobs.
The Hill - 14h
Investigation Into Scale AI Also Targets Its HR Partners HireArt and Upwork

According to former contract workers, HireArt, Scale AI’s employer of record, altered language in job offer letters to retroactively change their employment status.
Inc. - Mar. 11
Best Employers: UK

In this report, we highlight the FT’s ranking of the 500 best employers in the UK. Plus: employers rethink what makes a workplace desirable; healthcare pay lags behind worker commitment; ...
Financial Times - Mar. 10
Charles Leclerc fastest for Ferrari in second Australian GP practice

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second practice for Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix fastest, just over a tenth of a second faster than McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Perkins Coie executive order 'one of the most sinister' Trump has entered: Luttig

Retired federal judge J. Michael Luttig said Thursday that President Trump's executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie is "one of the most sinister" that he "has entered to date." ...
The Hill - 5d
Give new dads the same job rights as mums, MP says

Campaigners say the Employment Rights Bill is a big opportunity to improve job security for new dads.
BBC News - Mar. 12