A group of Republican state attorneys general are demanding the nation’s top 20 law firms release information on their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.
In a letter sent to the firms on Thursday, 12 attorneys general cited the recent request by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for any DEI information related to hiring practices.
“EEOC's letter to your firm flagged potential violations of employment discrimination laws, both at the federal and state levels-specifically, touting hiring practices that include diversity fellowships, setting hiring goals with targets for greater representation of minority groups, and DEI programs that entail unlawful disparate treatment in terms, conditions and privileges of employment,” the letter states.
“These practices indicate possible violations of Title VII and state statutes. They may also violate state laws against deceptive trade practices.”
The attorneys general demand that the firms respond to the EEOC’s letter, as well as their own, by April 15.
“Only through transparency can we be assured that Title VII and state laws are complied with, and that applicants are not being illegally discriminated against by policies that promote racial quotas and DEI,” the letter concludes.
The letter, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, comes as President Trump finds himself embroiled with some of the same law firms over his own executive orders.
Last month, Trump said he would suspend the security clearances of attorneys at Perkins Coie, a prominent law firm that participated in Democratic-funded research into ties between then-candidate Trump and Russia.
Trump has cut deals with multiple major U.S. law firms in recent weeks as he seeks to punish organizations he feels have helped his political enemies. The firms have typically agreed to perform millions of dollars' worth of pro bono work as part of the arrangements.
The administration issued a directive in February instructing the Justice Department’s civil rights division to “investigate, eliminate and penalize illegal” DEI policies and programs in the private sector and educational institutions that receive federal funds.
“The blatantly illegal employment discrimination perpetuated by law firms and other businesses under un-American DEI ideology must be brought to an immediate and permanent end,” Paxton said in a statement.
“I am leading the charge at the state level to support President Trump’s efforts to end this insanity and restore equal treatment. Employers should look at qualifications, not quotas, in their hiring decisions.”
