GOP-Led States Want 20 Law Firms to Disclose Their DEI Practices

A coalition of Republican-led states asked 20 law firms Thursday to send them documentation of their diversity, equity, and inclusion practices to ensure their compliance with anti-discrimination laws.

The states asked for the information to be sent to their respective attorneys general offices by April 15 in a letter from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The firms targeted, which include Kirkland & Ellis, Ropes & Gray, and Simpson Thacher, were among the same 20 asked by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to submit similar information on their DEI programs.

“The publicly released information flagged in EEOC’s letter indicates that your firm may have acted in violation of Title VII,” Paxton said.

Paxton highlighted potential violations of federal civil rights law and state statutes through the firms’ hiring practices that allegedly include, among other things, diversity fellowships and minority group hiring goals, the letter said. Paxton also said the states could also be in violation of state laws prohibiting deceptive trade practices.

The 12 states, which include Florida, Missouri, and Iowa, said they have authority to enforce employment discrimination laws that “ensure DEI and other policies that promote the employment of a person based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin are not being used,” the letter said.

The full list of firms named in Paxton’s letter are:

• A&O Shearman
• Debevoise & Plimpton
• Cooley LLP
• Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
• Goodwin Procter
• Hogan Lovells
• Kirkland & Ellis
• Latham & Watkins
• McDermott Will & Emery
• Milbank LLP
• Morgan Lewis & Bockius
• Morrison & Foerster
• Perkins Coie
• Reed Smith
• Ropes & Gray
• Sidley Austin
• Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
• White & Case
• WilmerHale

The request comes as President Donald Trump targets prominent law firms over their political work. Trump has issued executive orders and memos rescinding clearances for various law firms, including Paul Weiss and Perkins Coie.