The American Bar Association (ABA) has voted to suspend its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) standard for law schools as the Trump administration looks to gut all programs and initiatives associated with DEI within the federal government.
The council of the ABA Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar voted to pause its current standard, known as Rule 206, until Aug. 31 while it reviews a proposed revision to the rule, according to the ABA Journal. The vote took place at the council’s quarterly meeting in San Antonio Friday.
The council's standards committee said it would assess the proposed changes in light of recent actions by the Trump administration to ensure it can enforce the standard in compliance with the law.
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The Trump administration has threatened cuts in federal funding for academic institutions and universities that continue with DEI programs. Trump has also issued executive orders to target DEI in the federal government and private sector.
Daniel Thies, chair-elect of the council and co-chair of its Strategic Review Committee, said the move to suspend the standard was necessary.
"The committee’s view is that with the executive orders and the law being in flux, it would be an extreme hardship for law schools if our standards were to require them to do certain things that may cause them to take more litigation risks and potentially violate the law," Thies said, according to the ABA Journal.
Members of the council’s managing director’s office will visit law schools this spring and provide written guidance, the ABA Journal reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi hailed the decision as a "victory for common sense."
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"Yesterday, the American Bar Association voted to suspend enforcement of Rule 206 - a DEI requirement for the student bodies and faculties of law schools," Bondi wrote on X.
"This is a victory for common sense! We are bringing meritocracy back to the legal system."
The Trump administration is on a mission to gut all programs and initiatives associated with DEI within the federal government, arguing it has lowered standards and promoted a woke agenda. In his first week back in office, Trump signed an executive order ending DEI offices and initiatives across the federal workforce.
He followed those up with two executive orders banning "radical gender ideology" and DEI initiatives from all branches of the U.S. military.
A federal judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction for sections of the Trump administration’s executive orders on DEI, ruling that parts of the executive orders likely violate the Constitution and free speech rights.
The injunction largely blocks the sections of Trump’s orders that seek to end federal support for programs considered DEI-related and prevents the Trump administration from canceling contracts it believes promotes diversity, equity or inclusion.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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