News & Analysis as of May 17, 2025

Educational Institutions

+ Follow

The United States Supreme Court is the highest court of the United States and is charged with interpreting federal law, including the United States Constitution. The Court's docket is largely discretionary with only a limited number of cases granted review each term. The Court is comprised of one chief justice and eight associate justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to hold lifetime positions. less -

SCOTUS Ruling: Freezing $65 Million in Teacher Grants Amid DEI Controversy

Polsinelli on 4/16/2025

On April 4, 2025, the United States Supreme Court granted an emergency application to vacate the First Circuit Court of Appeals’ March 10 temporary restraining order (TRO) in the case of Department of Education v. California....more

OCR, DEI and Connecticut Schools – Sorting Through a Legal Minefield

Pullman & Comley - School Law on 3/5/2025

If nothing else, the early days of the Trump administration 2.0 have been a whirlwind of legal activity. Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts have of course been at the forefront and on February 14, 2025 the federal...more

OCR Issues “Dear Colleague” Letter on Racial Discrimination

Shipman & Goodwin LLP on 3/3/2025

On February 14, 2025, the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) issued guidance clarifying how the Department will interpret federal laws that prohibit schools and other entities receiving...more

OCR’s Directive on Race-Conscious Policies in Higher Education

Troutman Pepper Locke on 2/25/2025

On February 14, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights (DOE) issued a Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which calls for educational institutions to immediately cease race-conscious practices in student...more

Department of Education’s February 14 Dear Colleague Letter on Title VI and Equal Protection: Overview, Open Issues, and...

Saul Ewing LLP on 2/24/2025

INTRODUCTION - On February 14, 2025, the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (the “Assistant Secretary”) at the United States Department of Education (the “Department”) circulated a Dear Colleague Letter (the “DCL”)...more

Employment Law Update: What Employers and Educational Institutions Need to Know about the Attorney General’s February 5th Memo on...

Whiteford on 2/21/2025

On February 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney General (“AG”) Pam Bondi issued a memorandum to all Justice Department employees titled “Ending Illegal DEI and DEIA Discrimination and Preferences,” outlining the Department of...more

U.S. Department of Education’s New “Dear Colleague” Letter Targets DEI Programs and Signals New Era of Title VI Enforcement

Littler on 2/19/2025

On February 14, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a “Dear Colleague” Letter (DCL) and emailed it to K-12 and post-secondary educational institutions around the country. The DCL...more

Dear Colleague: Watch Out

Woods Rogers on 2/18/2025

In a tersely worded “Dear Colleague” letter dated February 14, 2025 (pdf), the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) signaled its intent to combat “pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and...more

DEI and Best Practices in Corporate America: Harvard/UNC One Year Later

Morgan Lewis on 6/26/2024

All eyes were on the US Supreme Court in June 2023 as the justices were poised to issue their decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard & UNC. As colleges and universities awaited the decision and wondered what it...more

The Future of DEI Shareholder Proposals

Fenwick & West LLP on 6/19/2024

Following the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests against racial inequity in 2020, many companies increased their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), as well as their external...more

Reflecting on Higher Education Compliance and Investigations Trends in 2023 and Looking Ahead to 2024

Foley Hoag LLP - White Collar Law &... on 2/29/2024

This is the fifth in our 2024 Year in Preview series examining important trends in white collar law and investigations in the coming year. We will be posting further installments in the series throughout the next several...more

DEI Under Scrutiny, Part VI: Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case Over Race-Neutral Measures Allegedly Intended to Increase Racial...

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart,... on 2/23/2024

The Supreme Court of the United States declined to review a case alleging that facially race-neutral admissions criteria at a selective Virginia public high school were unlawfully intended to strike a racial balance, leaving...more

DEI in the Crosshairs: Reflections On 2023 And Predictions For 2024

Jenner & Block on 1/10/2024

From the classroom to the boardroom, attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gained significant momentum in 2023. Bolstered by their victory at the Supreme Court in the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) cases,...more

Supreme Court Decision May Impact Your Company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives

Conn Kavanaugh on 12/28/2023

The U.S. Supreme Court recently held that it is illegal to consider race in college admissions decisions. While the decision did not apply to employers, employers should be aware that the decision is being used as a roadmap...more

The Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Opinion Continues To Spawn Challenges to DEI Programs

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP on 12/13/2023

Key Points - - In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, challenges to DEI initiatives have focused on programs that facially appear to provide a zero-sum advantage based on protected...more

Have You Audited Your DEIA Initiatives? If Not, You Should

FordHarrison on 11/6/2023

Executive Summary: Following the Supreme Court’s decision in SFFA v. Harvard/UNC, Attorneys General from 13 states and United States Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas sent letters to business leaders, warning of potential legal...more

Navigating the Affirmative Action Prohibition

Akerman LLP on 9/13/2023

The Supreme Court made history when it issued its long-awaited opinion regarding the constitutionality of affirmative action in Harvard College and University of North Carolina cases. As our practice update explained, SCOTUS...more

Client Alert: Senator J.D. Vance Calls for FTC and DOJ to Investigate Admissions Practices of Universities in the Wake of SFFA

Jenner & Block on 9/5/2023

On August 10, 2023, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, called for the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate top universities for allegedly coordinating their admissions policies following the U.S....more

#WorkforceWednesday: The Ripple Effect of the Supreme Court’s SFFA Ruling for Diversity in the Workplace - Employment Law This...

Epstein Becker & Green on 8/30/2023

This week, we’re focused on how the U.S. Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) ruling could impact workplace diversity efforts: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) investment has been a strong strategy for...more

Employment Law Now VII-134-Panel Discussion on Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Ruling and the Impact on Employer DEI Programs

Cozen O'Connor on 8/29/2023

Michael Schmidt is joined by a panel that includes EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas and Cozen O'Connor Labor & Employment Attorneys Debra Friedman and Alan Pittler to discuss the Supreme Court's June 29, 2023 decision on...more

Supplier Diversity Programs Face Increased Scrutiny and Risk as the Spotlight Brightens on Corporate DEI Initiatives

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on 8/22/2023

Seyfarth Synopsis: While the potential impact on private companies’ employee-focused DEI efforts has received much attention in the wake of the recent Supreme Court higher education affirmative action cases, another strategic...more

Biden Administration Issues Guidance to Universities on Implementing Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP on 8/21/2023

A Department of Education letter and Q&A document outlines lawful ways for universities to promote diverse student bodies. Higher education institutions are urged to “redoubl[e] efforts to recruit and retain” students...more

Supreme Court Strikes Down Affirmative Action in College Admissions

Mitratech Holdings, Inc on 8/18/2023

On Thurs. June 29, 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admissions policies are unconstitutional and invoked the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, stating that Harvard’s and UNC’s admissions programs...more

Client Alert: Biden Administration Releases Anticipated Guidance on College Admissions After Supreme Court’s Decision in Students...

Jenner & Block on 8/16/2023

On August 14, 2023, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division and the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights issued joint guidance directed at colleges and universities in the wake of the Supreme Court’s...more

Did the Supreme Court Put All DEI Programs at Risk?

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP on 7/28/2023

It has been less than a month since the Supreme Court’s June 29 decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA), and the decision is already creating controversy....more

50 Results

View per page

Page: of 2

Supreme Court of the United States › Diversity and Inclusion Standards (D&I) › Educational Institutions

"My best business intelligence, in one easy email…"