Conservative activists behind Supreme Court affirmative action takedown set sights on law firms

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The conservative activist who played a key role in the lawsuit that saw the Supreme Court take down affirmative action in June is now setting his sights on law firms.

Edward Blum, founder of the American Alliance for Equal Rights, filed lawsuits in Texas and Florida federal courts through his organization against international firms Perkins Coie and Morrison & Foerster, accusing them of unlawful racial discrimination against white candidates.

The first lawsuit, filed in Texas against Perkins Coie, claims the firm has discriminated against "future lawyers" for decades by limiting some fellowship programs to "‘students of color,’ ‘students who identify as LGBTQ+,’ or ‘students with disabilities,’" the Wall Street Journal reported late Tuesday. The complaint against Morrison & Foerster reportedly points to a fellowship that is only for "African American/Black, Latinx, Native Americans/Native Alaskans, and/or members of the LGBTQ+ community."

A key aspect of the lawsuits is the connection of fellowship programs to the chance of eventually being hired on as an associate at a firm. AAER's lawsuit claims that associates at Perkins Coie have a starting salary of $190,000, while those at Morrison & Foerster start at $215,000.

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The conservative activist who played a key role in the lawsuit that saw the Supreme Court take down affirmative action in June is now setting his sights on law firms. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File / AP Newsroom)

AAER says candidates for those positions are largely drawn from the fellowship programs, which white candidates are partially excluded from.

"As a firm, we have been a leader in efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. Our commitment to those values remains steadfast. We will defend this lawsuit vigorously," Perkins Coie told WSJ in a statement.

Morrison & Foerster could not be reached by WSJ or Fox News Digital.

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While the lawsuits have targeted the two law firms in particular, similar diversity, equity and inclusion programs are commonplace throughout the legal world.

Harvard lost an affirmative action lawsuit in the Supreme Court earlier this year, and conservative activists hope to use that momentum to clip diversity, equity and inclusion programs in other areas. ((Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

The lawsuits come just months after another organization Blum created, Students for Fair Admissions, successfully defeated Harvard and the University of North Carolina before the Supreme Court in June on affirmative action.

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The complaint against Harvard alleged that the school's practices penalized Asian American students, and that they failed to employ race-neutral practices. The University of North Carolina case raised the issue of whether the university could reject the use of non-race-based practices without showing that they would bring down the school's academic quality or negatively impact the benefits gained from campus diversity.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious admission policies used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina violate the Constitution, bringing an end to affirmative action in higher education. ((Photo by Scott Eisen/Getty Images) / Getty Images)

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The court ruled for Students for Fair Admissions in both cases.