There’s
no
question
that
running
DEI
programs
at
law
firms
has
become
more
difficult
after
SFFA
v.
Harvard
and
mounting
pressure
from
the
Trump
administration,
but
it
isn’t
impossible.
Potential
employees
and
firms
looking
to
hire
can
still
try
to
make
connections,
but
the
anti-DEI
climate
has
forced
some
changes
around
how
the
application
process
looks.
Law.com
has
coverage:
While
a
handful
of
large
firms
have
open
DEI
roles
posted,
the
quantity
of
open
positions
has
declined,
making
each
posting
more
competitive.
…
While
some
public
job
postings
for
law
firm
DEI
roles
have
opened
up
since
the
initial
pullback
when
law
firms
were
being
targeted
by
the
administration
earlier
this
year,
some
open
positions
don’t
name
the
firm
at
all
until
after
candidates
apply.
“We’ve
posted
for
our
clients
in
that
way
because
maybe
there’s
a
hesitation
that
they
are
not
looking
to
put
their
names
out
there
and
put
a
target
on
their
backs,”
said
Calibrate
Strategies
recruiter
Haley
Revel.
The
increased
competition
for
the
available
roles
means
that
firms
can
choose
more
qualified
applicants,
which
is
great,
but
workarounds
that
obscure
the
name
of
the
firm
being
applied
to
could
dissuade
qualified
applicants
from
applying
for
the
positions.
It
is
far
from
a
perfect
solution,
but
it
is
an
understandable
way
of
balancing
searching
for
qualified
applicants
without
inviting
Blum
&
Co.
to
knock
on
your
door.
Hopefully.
Admittedly,
it
seems
like
firms
that
are
trying
to
hide
DEI
recruitment
behind
a
silk
curtain
are
only
delaying
the
eventual
affirmative
action
by
proxy
suit
to
come.
In
the
meantime,
make
the
most
of
the
market
while
you
can.
Apply,
apply,
apply!
Law
Firm
Diversity
Professionals
Face
Challenging
Job
Market
[Law.com]
Chris
Williams
became
a
social
media
manager
and
assistant
editor
for
Above
the
Law
in
June
2021.
Prior
to
joining
the
staff,
he
moonlighted
as
a
minor
Memelord™
in
the
Facebook
group Law
School
Memes
for
Edgy
T14s
.
He
endured
Missouri
long
enough
to
graduate
from
Washington
University
in
St.
Louis
School
of
Law.
He
is
a
former
boatbuilder
who
is
learning
to
swim, is
interested
in
critical
race
theory,
philosophy,
and
humor,
and
has
a
love
for
cycling
that
occasionally
annoys
his
peers.
You
can
reach
him
by
email
at [email protected]
and
by
tweet
at @WritesForRent.