U.S. corporations are quietly reworking their diversity, equity and inclusion strategies as political and legal pressures mount, according to multiple industry accounts. Companies that once promoted expansive DEI goals are scaling back public commitments and reducing the visibility of related programs. The legal sector is seeing some of the sharpest moves. Willkie Farr & Gallagher reached an agreement with President Trump to avert a reportedly threatening executive order, and seven of the firm’s partners have since said they will leave for rival Cooley. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has overhauled its well-known public-interest fellowship application, removing references to “racial justice” and “equity.” Kirkland & Ellis, meanwhile, has dismissed its director of global inclusion along with several other DEI professionals as part of a wider reorganization that began before the election. Not every firm is retreating. One midsize practice has publicly vowed to maintain its diversity scholarship program despite warnings that DEI initiatives could draw federal scrutiny. The mixed responses underscore a rapidly shifting landscape for corporate diversity efforts in the United States.
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Midsize Firm Refuses To Back Down On Its Diversity Scholarship Program, Despite Trump’s DEI Threats https://t.co/b2Vp4hJ2OV
What's going on today? Skadden law firm fellowship revamps application to omit 'racial justice,' 'equity'; Seven Willkie partners plan to join rival Cooley after Trump deal. Subscribe to The Afternoon Docket: https://t.co/9HSJ5xPUoH https://t.co/4zCqOeWWeS