EEOC Asked to Probe Claims of Bias in Law Firm Intern Program

An anti-DEI group filed a bias charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, asking it to investigate a nonprofit that places incoming law students in summer internships, along with the organization’s 44 large law firm affiliates.

The group Americans for Equal Opportunity filed the charge Monday claiming Sponsors for Education Opportunity, and the firms it services as a “joint employer and staffing agency,” discriminated against White internship candidates in violation of federal civil rights law.

The charge could be a test case for whether the EEOC will target its enforcement towards diversity, equity, and inclusion programs it deems discriminatory, which is among the priorities laid out by Republican EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas.

Some of the 44 law firms cited in the charge previously received investigatory letters from Lucas inquiring about their DEI programs, including A&O Shearman, Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. Those four firms ultimately struck deals with the administration that ended the probes.

Sponsors for Education Opportunity describes itself as a group founded during the civil rights movement that aims to “close educational and career opportunity gaps” for young people. Its law fellowship program connects incoming law students with summer associate positions.

The charge alleges three White or White-presenting applicants, who are members of Americans for Equal Opportunity, were rejected from the 2025 fellowship despite having “academic qualifications and work experience that matched or exceeded those of applicants from preferred racial or ethnic backgrounds who were selected.”

The application page for the fellowship states “all are invited to apply” and includes eligibility requirements such as GPA, test scores, work authorization, and graduation date.

Spokespeople for Sponsors for Education Opportunity and the EEOC declined to comment.

The EEOC typically does not comment on charges. The agency receives tens of thousands of charges a year from workers and only files litigation on about a hundred of those.