17 Law Firms Withdraw from DEI Fellowship Amid Trump Administration Pressure
Seventeen prominent law firms have withdrawn from the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO) Law Fellowship, a program designed to place underrepresented students at elite law firms. This decision follows a discrimination complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which alleged that the program excluded white applicants. The EEOC has launched an investigation into these claims. The firms, including Kirkland & Ellis, Gibson Dunn, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, have indicated in position statements to the EEOC that they no longer participate in the fellowship. As a result, the program has significantly reduced its enrollment, accepting only 58 fellows in 2026 compared to 104 the previous year. The pressure from the federal government has led to a reevaluation of diversity initiatives within these firms, with some disavowing DEI practices as part of settlement agreements with the Trump administration. 
