Lawsuit filed against American Bar Association over race-based internships
A collection of legal groups have filed a lawsuit against the American Bar Association, claiming that it uses discriminatory application criteria in multiple internship application processes.
The groups bringing forth this lawsuit include the American Civil Rights Project, Center for Equal Opportunity, and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty.
A collection of legal groups have filed a lawsuit against the American Bar Association (ABA), claiming that it uses discriminatory application criteria in multiple internship application processes.
The groups bringing forth this lawsuit include the American Civil Rights Project, the Center for Equal Opportunity, and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty; the lawsuit was filed on Feb. 10.
The organizations claim that the ABA has violated Title VII and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment through its use of race-based eligibility requirements. The groups highlight programs such as the “Judicial Intern Opportunity Program,” the “Diversity Clerkship Program,” “Business Law Fellows” and the “Diversity Fellowship Program.”
This decision comes after President Trump’s executive order banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the federal government, prompting many academic institutions and prominent organizations to push to eliminate similar policies.
The ABA’s Diversity Clerkship Program states that applicants must have characteristics such as being a “law student of color,” a woman, a law student “with disabilities,” an “LGBTQ+” law student, or a student who has “overcome social or economic disadvantages.”
This program promotes “full and equal participation by all lawyers, including lawyers of color, women lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities,” providing them the opportunity to serve as judicial law clerks, according to the ABA website.
Similarly, the Judicial Intern Opportunity Program serves to “provide opportunities to students who are members of racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the profession, students with disabilities, veterans, students who are economically disadvantaged, students who identify as LGBTQ+, women, and others.”
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The Business Law Fellows internship outlines that “young lawyers, lawyers of color, lawyers with disabilities and LGBTQ+ lawyers are provided a springboard to substantive leadership roles.”
Likewise, the Diversity Fellowship Program is designed to provide “leadership opportunities within the Division for historically underrepresented groups, including racial and ethnic minorities, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and persons with disabilities.”
Despite the ACR Project and WILL’s prior warnings, the ABA continues to implement eligibility requirements that allegedly violate federal law.
Campus Reform has contacted the American Bar Association, the American Civil Rights Project, the Center for Equal Opportunity and the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
