The “Harvard Decision has created new opportunities to challenge Wisconsin State Bar practices in violation of the Fourteenth and First Amendments.” –WILL

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed a lawsuit today against the State Bar of Wisconsin for promoting what it calls “discriminatory DEI practices” including its “Diversity Clerkship Program,” which offers premier internship opportunities to only some minority law students or those who self-identify as LGBTQ+.

According to a WILL press release, “Some of Wisconsin’s largest law firms, companies, and government agencies participate in the “Diversity Clerkship Program,” program, including the following: Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Alliant Energy, Froedtert Health, Kohler Company, the City of Madison, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. Using the funds of due-paying members to provide invaluable internship experiences to only some law students is a violation of the Constitution and the recent precedent set in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.”

WILL’s client, Daniel Suhr, who is a trial and appellate attorney in Wisconsin, must pay State Bar “dues,” that not only fund this internship, but also programs and communications efforts that we believe discriminate against him and hundreds of other Wisconsin attorneys, WILL says.

WILL Associate Counsel, Skylar Croy, told WRN, “When the government discriminates based on race, it sows more division in our country and violates the Constitution in the process. WILL is standing up against discrimination and holding the State Bar accountable to the rights of its due-paying members.”

The press release continues, “Judge Carl Ashley, who has promoted the program on behalf of the Bar, even stated that he was aware diversity programs like Diversity Clerkship Program could face legal challenges. WILL client, Daniel Suhr, is an accomplished trial and appellate attorney in Wisconsin. He is a State Bar member who objects that his Bar dues are used to administer and promote unconstitutional programs and messages. Like all Wisconsin attorneys, Daniel Suhr must be a member of the Bar and pay hundreds of dollars to it each year just to work in his chosen profession.”

WILL said, “Harvard Decision Has Changed the Legal Landscape: The United States Supreme Court recently decided that colleges and universities may no longer use race as a factor in admissions. This practice, commonly called “affirmative action,” was declared unconstitutional in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. That decision, however, has much broader implications: it confirms that federal civil rights laws demand “colorblind” treatment of all individuals in America. Since the Harvard Decision, WILL has launched numerous legal challenges to race-based, discriminatory programs across the country.

Read the full complaint Here: