HR - Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Nineteen states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit challenging the federal government's rollout of Executive Order (EO) 14398, "Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors." The coalition of plaintiff states challenges the EO and federal agency actions taken to implement what they allege are unclear requirements across new and existing contracts. Filed on June 10, 2026, the complaint names the United States, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), and n…

The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts recently blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to withhold funding from states and grant recipients that have not confirmed their compliance with Trump administration policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), “gender ideology,” women’s and girls’ sports, and immigration.

Celebrating Pride Month: The Power of Inclusion – On the Field and in the Workplace In this Pride Month episode of Littler Celebrates, Jenny Orr, a shareholder in Littler’s Cleveland office, leads a candid conversation with Haley Norwillo, an associate in the Philadelphia office, and Jean Schmidt, a retired shareholder from the firm’s New York City office, on how sports shape who we are – both personally and professionally. ehubert@littler.com Fri, 06/26/2026 - 11:42

On April 20, 2026, a coalition of higher education/academic and minority trade associations filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland challenging President Donald Trump’s recent executive order that attaches direct contractual consequences to diversity, equity, and incl

The FAR Council recently issued much-anticipated guidance implementing Executive Order (EO) 14398, “Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors.”

Implementation of Trump’s March 26 Executive Order on DEI Set to Begin on April 24 On March 26, 2026, President Trump issued Executive Order 14398, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors , which instructed executive departments and agencies to add language to federal contracts barring

Executive Order (EO) No. 14398, “ Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors ,” issued on March 26, 2026, introduces a new compliance dynamic for federal contractors by requiring prime contractors to report “known or reasonably knowable” subcontractor conduct that constitutes “racially dis

Executive Order 11246 Redux: Trump’s New Executive Order on DEI Calls for Renewed Scrutiny of Government Contractors On March 26, 2026, President Trump issued an executive order, Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors . tgelbman@littler.com Fri, 03/27/2026 - 15:30

On March 23, 2026, a coalition of twenty U.S. states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over sweeping new USDA funding conditions that forbid vaguely defined antidiscrimination “policies,” prohibit the use of funds to “promote gender ideology,” and threaten F

On March 26, 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order (EO) titled “ Addressing DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors ” that, for the first time, attaches direct contractual consequences to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in federal contracting.

On February 26, 2026, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas issued a letter to the 500 largest companies in the United States warning them of potential liability under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 for race and sex-based discrimination that may result fro

Organizations that receive federal grants, loans, or other financial assistance may soon be required to certify that they do not operate “illegal DEI” programs.

On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard oral argument in Chicago Women in Trades v. Trump , No. 25-2144, concerning whether the Trump administration can require federal contractors and grantees to certify that they do not operate diversity, equity, and inclusion

On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit issued a narrow ruling in National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education v. Trump , vacating a preliminary injunction that had blocked enforcement of Executive Order 14151 , “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government

Federal contractors and grant recipients are operating in a period of unusual transition. The Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rewrite is advancing through agency deviations while formal rulemaking is set to begin. Meanwhile, agencies are simultaneously rolling out broad diversity, equity, and i

Fourth Circuit Allows Enforcement of DEI Executive Orders to Proceed On February 6, 2026, The U.S. tgelbman@littler.com Fri, 02/06/2026 - 15:26

Takeaways

Takeaways

Takeaways

In this podcast recorded at our recent Corporate Labor and Employment Counsel Exclusive® seminar, Nonnie Shivers (office managing shareholder, Phoenix) and Scott Kelly (shareholder, Birmingham) discuss the rapidly changing and increasingly complex legal landscape surrounding diversity, equity, and i