On March 17, 2025, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) Acting Chair, Andrea Lucas, sent letters to 20 large law firms requesting information concerning each firm’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) related employment practices. These letters follow a March 6 executive order issued by President Trump which directed the EEOC to look at “large, influential, or industry leading law firms” for “compliance with race-based and sex-based non-discrimination laws.”
The letters specifically demand that the law firms “fully identify all clients that have ‘diversity requirements,’ ‘diversity preferences,’ or any demographic-related requirements for matters, including but not limited to race or sex requirements for the employees staffed on their matters.” The letters further seek information related to internships, fellowships, and scholarships offered by the law firms related to diversity efforts, as well as any hiring decisions in which the firm or a recruiter working for the firm sought “black, Hispanic or female candidates, ‘diverse’ candidates, or candidates of another particular race(s), ethnicities, or another protected characteristic.”
These letters constitute the first major action from the EEOC targeting DEI programs. The EEOC is an agency tasked, in part, with investigating workplace discrimination claims, including those based on race, age and sex. Traditionally, the majority of those investigations have been focused on employment practices that exclude minorities. However, in a statement issued by Acting Chair Lucas, she cautioned that “[t]here is no ‘diversity’ exception” to Title VII’s prohibition on employment discrimination.
According to Acting Chair Lucas, “[t]he EEOC is prepared to root out discrimination anywhere it may rear its head, including in our nation’s elite law firms, . . . No one is above the law—and certainly not the private bar.” The letters demand that the 20 law firms targeted provide their responses by April 15.
Although the EEOC’s current DEI investigatory efforts have been aimed at law firms, all employers may be subject to the Trump Administration’s scrutiny of DEI related employment practices and policies. The members of the KMK Labor and Employment Team are available to assist employers with any DEI-related questions.
KMK Law articles and blog posts are intended to bring attention to developments in the law and are not intended as legal advice for any particular client or any particular situation. The laws/regulations and interpretations thereof are evolving and subject to change. Although we will attempt to update articles/blog posts for material changes, the article/post may not reflect changes in laws/regulations or guidance issued after the date the article/post was published. Please consult with counsel of your choice regarding any specific questions you may have.
ADVERTISING MATERIAL.
© 2025 Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL. All Rights Reserved
- Partner
Alison practices in the firm’s Labor & Employment Group, where she assists clients in all stages of workplace disputes. Alison has extensive experience counseling clients regarding hiring and firing issues, disciplinary ...
- Associate
Mianda Bashala is an associate in the firm’s Labor & Employment Group where she helps clients meet their business objectives and minimize liability through the effective application of labor and employment laws. Her practice ...
Topics/Tags
Select- Labor & Employment Law
- Discrimination
- EEOC
- Employment Law
- Department of Labor
- Labor Law
- Title VII
- FLSA
- NLRB
- Workplace Violence
- Department of Justice
- Coronavirus
- Non-Compete Agreements
- Religion Discrimination
- Performance Improvement Plans
- Reasonable Accommodation
- Pregnancy Discrimination
- Department of Homeland Security
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- Foreign Nationals
- Immigration and Nationality Act
- NLRA
- Diversity
- National Labor Relations Board
- Wage & Hour
- Privacy
- Artificial Intelligence
- Inclusion
- LGBTQ+
- Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation
- Federal Trade Commission
- Overtime Pay
- FMLA
- Arbitration
- Workplace Accommodations
- Employment Litigation
- IRS
- Litigation
- Medical Marijuana
- Social Media
- Employer Policies
- Americans with Disabilities Act
- Disability Discrimination
- Retirement
- National Labor Relations Act
- Accommodation
- Sexual Orientation Discrimination
- Race Discrimination
- OSHA
- Employer Handbook
- ERISA
- ADAAA
- Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
- Unions
- Whistleblower
- ACA
- Affordable Car Act
- Employer Rules
- United States Supreme Court
- Sexual Harassment
- Technology
- Federal Arbitration Act
- Transgender Issues
- Disability
- 401(k)
- Employment Settlement Agreements
- Sixth Circuit
- Fair Labor Standards Act
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Benefits
- Paycheck Protection Program
- Gender Identity Discrimination
- Posting Requirements
- Class Action Litigation
- Disability Law
- E-Discovery
- Evidence
- Securities Law
- Preventive Care Benefits
- Environmental Law
- Family and Medical Leave Act
- Health Savings Account
- SECURE Act
- Privacy Laws
- US Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration
- Representative Election Regulations
- Healthcare Reform
- Older Workers' Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA)
- Affirmative Action
- Electronically Stored Information
- Equal Opportunity Clause
- Telecommuting
- Compensable Time
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Security Screening
- Supreme Court
- E-Discovery Case Law
- Electronic Data Discovery
- ESI
- Unemployment Insurance Integrity Act
- American Medical Association
- Attendance Policy
- Classification
- Fair Minimum Wage
- Federal Minimum Wage
- Misclassification
- Return to Work
- Seniority Rights
- State Minimum Wage
- Wage Increase
- Confidentiality
- Disability Leave
- Equal Pay
- Genetic Information Discrimination
- Media Policy
- National Origin Discrimination
- Retaliation
- Social Media Content
- Antitrust
- Employment Incentives
- HIRE Act
- Social Security Tax
- Taxation
Recent Posts
- More on Equal Opportunity: Executive Order Seeks to End Disparate Impact Liability to promote Equal Opportunity
- PIP This: The Expansion of Actionable Adverse Employment Decisions in the Wake of Muldrow v. City of St. Louis
- The Independent Contractor Tug-of-War: Navigating the Latest DOL Shifts
- ICE Raids and Audits – What’s an Employer to Do
- New Online Registration Requirements for Foreign Nationals
- Workplace Violence: Are You Taking Required Steps to Protect Your Employees?
- EEOC & DOJ New Guidance on DEI-Related Discrimination: What Does it Mean for Employers?
- EEOC Targets 20 Large Law Firms regarding DEI related Employment Practices
- Ohio Senate Bill 11: Key Provisions and Implications for Employers
- Shifting Burdens: Is McDonnell Douglas Past Its Prime?