Law students drop challenge to EEOC probe of law firms' diversity policies

By Daniel Wiessner

Feb 9 (Reuters) - Three law students in a court filing on Monday agreed to withdraw a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's probe of diversity policies at large law firms, after the agency said it had not collected any personal information on firm employees or job applicants.

The law students filed the lawsuit anonymously last year after the EEOC warned 20 major law firms that their diversity, equity and inclusion programs may be unlawful and sought an array of information about internships and scholarships they offer to law students and their hiring and compensation practices.

The law students agreed to dismiss their bid to block disclosure of their information in a joint filing in District of Columbia federal court.

Monday's filing cited earlier statements the commission had made in the case that none of the information provided by law firms identified individual workers or applicants and that the agency did not expect any further responses from the firms. The EEOC did not say anything about the status of its investigation.

The lawsuit was one of many to push back against President Donald Trump's efforts to curtail DEI programs in the federal government, education and the private sector, particularly the legal industry. At least four federal judges blocked executive orders by Trump that sought to punish law firms over their past legal work and DEI policies. Nine firms, meanwhile, made deals with Trump pledging a combined $940 million in free legal work to mutually agreed matters with the White House.

EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas, a Trump appointee, has said that rooting out discriminatory DEI policies will be a priority for the agency, which can broker settlements with employers or sue them in court. The commission is investigating claims that Nike and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance discriminated against white workers through their diversity initiatives.

Other federal agencies have slashed funding for DEI-related programs and grants, and the Federal Trade Commission last month warned 42 large law firms that their diversity-focused hiring practices may violate federal antitrust law.

The law students are represented by Democracy Forward, a left-leaning group involved in dozens of lawsuits over Trump administration policies. Skye Perryman, the group's president, said the EEOC case is proof that litigation works.

“Because our brave clients fought back, the EEOC admitted that its demands were voluntary and closed the matter," Perryman said in a statement.

The case is Doe v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, No. 1:25-cv-01124.

For the plaintiffs: Jennifer Connolly of the Democracy Forward Foundation

For the EEOC: Jeremy Simon of the U.S. Department of Justice

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