Activist behind US affirmative action cases sues major law firms, ETHRWorld

By Nate Raymond

A group founded by the conservative activist who led the successful U.S. Supreme Court challenge to the consideration of race in college admissions sued two major U.S. law firms over fellowships they offer to promote diversity.

The American Alliance for Equal Rights sued Perkins Coie in Dallas and Morrison & Foerster in Miami two months after the Supreme Court sided with another group founded by activist Edward Blum and rejected affirmative action policies used by many colleges to increase enrollment of racial minorities.

The federal lawsuits accused both law firms of unlawfully discriminating against white candidates by limiting which law students could be considered for paid fellowships designed in part to help support the recruitment of people of color.

“Excluding students from these esteemed fellowships because they are the wrong race is unfair,…