Hiya
@Zaraa.x
I highly recommend the LittleLaw piece as a high-level overview of the recent executive orders on DEI. While I generally avoid DEI and ESG topics in interviews, I've had mentees who've mentioned that this issue has indeed come up during their assessment centre interviews, especially for those interviewing at US firms. During one vacation scheme, I was actually asked about similar issues by a partner, so it’s worth brushing up on the topic just in case.
If the topic comes up, you might also be asked about strategies for clients navigating these changes. This is something that the LittleLaw article touches on. However, it doesn’t explicitly set out some of the measures that law firms are now recommending that clients consider. Having read a few law firm publications on this, you may want to mention the following:
- Conducting audits of their DEI programs to identify and remove practices that might violate the executive orders.
- Strengthening compliance documentation to prepare for potential investigations (The executive orders explicitly directs the DOJ to identify major companies, nonprofits, and universities for enforcement action).
- Monitoring for whistleblower risks, especially as agencies like the GSA are encouraging reports of "disguised" DEI programs.
- Preparing for the possibility of shareholder lawsuits where companies remove DEI policies, as well as shareholder actions against companies who keep certain DEI programmes in place (and violate the executive orders).
Again, this is just to provide some ideas on what you might discuss after you've (1) briefly outlined the executive orders and (2) discussed their potential impact on both clients and law firms.
