On Jan. 21, 2025, President Trump issued Executive Order 14173
("Order"), entitled "Ending Illegal Discrimination
And Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity." This Order will have
significant impact on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
("DEI") policies, practices and programs implemented by
private sector employers as well as within the federal government.
Subsequent legal developments concerning the Order may impact the
practical effect of the Order.
Specifically, the Order instructs all executive departments and
federal agencies to "terminate all discriminatory and illegal
preferences, mandates, policies, programs, activities, guidance,
regulations, enforcement actions, consent orders, and
requirements" and further orders all federal agencies "to
combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies,
programs, and activities." Under Section 3 of the Order,
several prior executive orders are revoked, including Executive
Order 11246 (1965) — the longstanding
