Rattled by DEI Risks, GCs May Retreat From Tracking Diversity of Outside Counsel

Some legal departments are starting to retreat from tracking diversity metrics for outside counsel, a subtle but important way that companies had been pressuring their law firms to bolster hiring and advancement opportunities for women and minorities.

The pullback stems from the DEI backlash that already was gaining momentum before the Trump administration in January revoked DEI mandates across the federal government and raised the specter of criminally prosecuting companies with hiring or promotion practices that disadvantaged white men.