DEI and the First Amendment II

Eight months into President Trump's second term, right-wing operatives continue to target diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Through a growing web of hostile executive orders, state bans, and private lawsuits, enemies of diversity are using law to chill discussion of race, gender, sexuality and other "divisive" concepts. In the face of these attacks, diversity defenders are turning to the First Amendment - and in many cases, they are winning.

In this event, practitioners from across the country will share how they have successfully used arguments from freedom of speech, academic freedom, and freedom of association to defend inclusion in recent cases. Together, we will explore opportunities for First Amendment strategies to strengthen DEI programs going forward.

Featuring:

Lawrence Lustberg, Director, John J. Gibbons Fellowship in Public Interest & Constitutional Law, Gibbons P.C. (Saadeh v. New Jersey State Bar Association)

Robert McDuff, Director of the George Riley Impact Litigation Initiative, Mississippi Center for Justice (Jackson Federation of Teachers v. Fitch)

Katy Youker, Director, Economic Justice Project, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Chicago Women in Trades v. Trump)

Moderated by:

Taonga Leslie, Director of Policy and Program for Racial Justice, American Constitution Society