Winston & Strawn The Next Target Of Blum And His Diversity Haters

// The members of the Anti-Equity Troupe are back with their spite suits. This time, they have their sights on Winston & Strawn. Perkins Coie and Morrison Foerster modified the wording of their fellowships after Blum + Co. prodded at their programs, but Winston & Strawn may have a little more moxie. From Bloomberg Law:

Blum’s American Alliance for Equal Rights alleges Winston & Strawn’s program “discriminates against certain applicants because of their race.”…“It is our hope that Winston & Strawn will be compelled by the courts to follow the law,” Blum said in a statement.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-top-300x250" ); });

Thankfully, Winston & Strawn’s response has a bit of bite to it:

Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics  

“Your implication that the terms ‘disadvantaged’ and ‘historically underrepresented’ necessarily refer to race is baseless,” Winston partner Cardelle Spangler said. “Winston & Strawn does not make employment decisions on the basis of race or ethnicity.”

Could this be the disparate impact affirmative action lawsuit that we’ve all been waiting for? We all know that Black people are not the only Americans that are poor. But, due to the long running American tradition of screwing over Black pockets with policy choices, many Black families are fighting poverty. Does that necessarily make low income a proxy for Black? No, but groups like Wisconsin Institute For Law And Liberty used that argument to say that Pell Grant relief was too Black to be constitutional and you can best believe that mirroring arguments will be made against programs that take historical underrepresentation into account.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-middle-300x250" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-storycontent-440x100" ); }); googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-in-story-youtube-1x1" ); });

Winston & Strawn Is Third Firm Hit With Blum Group’s DEI Suit [Bloomberg Law]

Sponsored Sponsored Countdown To Compliance Webinar: SEC Private Fund Reforms Ontra & Daniel Kahl, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis and former Acting Director of the SEC Division of Examinations, explore private fund adviser reforms. From Ontra   Sponsored Are You Using AI In Your Day-to-Day Practice? Please share your thoughts in this (always) brief and anonymous survey. From Above the Law   Sponsored Beyond the Billable Hours: Finding Purpose in Your In-House Role Whether you're a seasoned attorney looking to rekindle your passion or a new professional navigating the challenges of the legal world, join us on October… From Axiom and Above The Law   Sponsored Countdown To Compliance Webinar: SEC Private Fund Reforms Ontra & Daniel Kahl, Partner at Kirkland & Ellis and former Acting Director of the SEC Division of Examinations, explore private fund adviser reforms. From Ontra  

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at [email protected] and by tweet at @WritesForRent.

googletag.cmd.push( function() { // Display ad. googletag.display( "div-id-for-bottom-300x250" ); }); Sponsored Sponsored Adding Value through Digital Transformation: Harness the Power of CLM and ELM Unleashing the Potential of Digital Transformation: A Deep Dive into CLM and ELM” explores the challenges faced by in-house counsel and the critical facets of… From CounselLink   Sponsored The Smartfirm Playbook - Thriving In Today’s Legal Landscape Strategically using software and automation to boost efficiency and streamline operations, allowing for a laser-focus on practicing law. From Lawmatics   Topics

Affirmative Action, Biglaw, DEI, Diversity, Edward Blum, Winston & Strawn