The definitions in our glossary are primarily sourced from Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary and Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute. We have made slight modifications where needed for brevity and to better tailor the definitions to the specific needs of users of this website. For more detailed explanations of the terms, users are encouraged to review the definitions on these websites or conduct their own independent research.
In the Media
At the Meltzer Center, we are proud to be recognized as a thought leader in the DEI legal sphere. In this section, explore how our insights and expertise have been featured in the media, reflecting our commitment to advancing these important issues.
"Anti-woke: With Trump returning, US firms back off on DEI," Deutsche Welle, January 13, 2025
"How could Trump's second term affect DEI initiatives in the US?," The Guardian, January 11, 2025
"Mark Zuckerberg says corporate culture was 'neutered' as Meta scraps DEI," Washington Post, January 10, 2025
"What a Second Trump Presidency Could Mean for Corporate DEI," Inc., January 9, 2025
"LGBTQ+ rights group reports progress at U.S. companies despite conservative backlash," Associated Press, January 7, 2025
"6 Ways the Workplace Will Change in 2025," Inc., December 31, 2024
"Hostile Work Environment Claims Aimed at DEI Gain Early Traction," Bloomberg, December
"Year in Review: The Top Stories of 2024," Inc., December 23, 2024
"DOGE vs. DEI: Republicans' promise to purge government diversity initiatives could be wide-ranging, and hard to pull off," CNN, December 19, 2024
"Lower-court judges could impact the future of DE&I initiatives," HR Brew, December 19, 2024
"How to show commitment to DEI amid concerns," Charter Pro, December 19, 2024
"How DE&I leaders can handle an uncertain legal landscape," HR Brew, December 18, 2024
"DEI Attacks, Hybrid Work, Paid Leave: 2024's Workplace Shifts," Law360, December 18, 2024
"DEI in 2024: milestones, setbacks and shifting priorities," WorkLife, December 13, 2024
"Corporations and Higher Ed Are Backtracking on DEI. Will Foundations Fold?," Chronicle of Philanthropy, December 11, 2024
"Judge Didn't Need to Cite DEI to Reject Boeing Deal, Experts Say," Bloomberg, December 10, 2024
"Trump promises a crackdown on diversity initiatives. Fearful institutions are dialing them back already," The Guardian, December 5, 2024
"Walmart is one of the many companies ditching DEI—but taking up 'belonging'," KCBS Radio, November 27, 2024
"Walmart's DEI rollback signals a profound shift in the wake of Trump's election victory," Associated Press, November 26, 2024
"Walmart, Once Eager to Promote Diversity, Pulls Back Amid Conservative Pressure," New York Times, November 26, 2024
"RIP DEI? The war on 'woke' America has a new commander-in-chief," USA Today, November 22, 2024
"Six experts on what the election means for workplaces," Time, November 11, 2024
"Does Changing the Language of DEI Protect Companies?", Inc., October 29, 2024
"What DEI funders should know about risk after the Fearless Fund decision," Technical.ly, October 18, 2024
"Members of Congress call on companies to retain DEI programs as court cases grind on," Associated Press, October 15, 2024
"Here's What the Fearless Fund Settlement Means for DEI Efforts Nationwide," Inc., September 18, 2024
"Fearless Fund drops grant program for Black women business owners in lawsuit settlement," Associated Press, September 11, 2024
"How the US supreme court's affirmative action ruling unleashed anti-DEI cases," The Guardian, September 6, 2024
"The rise and fall of the DEI movement," NPR, September 6, 2024
"Ford, Coors Light and Other Brands Retreat From a Gay-Rights Index," Wall Street Journal, September 5, 2024
"Anti-DEI Outcry Online Spurs Flurry of Big-Name Firms to Retreat," Bloomberg, August 30, 2024
"Why anti-DEI lawsuits are piling up this year," WorkLife, August 20, 2024
"Here Are the Most Common Anti-DEI Legal Cases Right Now -- and What You Need to Know About Them," Inc., August 15, 2024
"The Fight Against DEI Programs Shifts to Medical Care," Wall Street Journal, August 14, 2024
"DEI litigation shows hit to targeted programs in US," The Indiana Lawyer, August 14, 2024
"Does DEI training discriminate against White people? Courts will decide," Washington Post, August 9, 2024
"New litigation tracker allows HR leaders to follow DE&I lawsuits," HR Brew, July 29, 2024
"Conservative Groups Challenge Corporate DEI Initiatives with Recent Success," Corporate Counsel Online, July 30, 2024
"Boards Warned to 'Buckle Up' for Anti-DEI Lawsuits," Agenda, July 22, 2024
"Conservatives use shooting at Trump rally to attack DEI efforts at Secret Service," ABC News, July 22, 2024
"America's HR Lobby Scraps the 'E' from DEI," Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2024
"Many universities are abandoning race-conscious scholarships worth millions," Washington Post, July 9, 2024
"How Tractor Supply Decided to End DEI, and Fast," Wall Street Journal, June 30, 2024
"He never saw himself as disadvantaged. Then the government had him write an essay," Washington Post, June 29, 2024
“Conservative lawsuits undo diversity programs,” Washington Post, June 27, 2024
“Rescuing diversity from the DEI backlash,” Financial Times, June 20, 2024
“Yoshino Explains the Rise of Anti-DEI Litigation,” Bloomberg TV, June 13, 2024
“A grant program for Black women business owners is discriminatory, appeals court rules,” Associated Press, June 3, 2024
“How Stephen Miller brought the ‘war on woke’ to small businesses,’ Fast Company, May 22, 2024
“Diversity managers in the US are facing new challenges,” Le Monde, May 18, 2024
“DEI ‘lives on’ after Supreme Court ruling, but critics see an opening,” Washington Post, April 19, 2024
“The Supreme Court Just Complicated Employer Diversity Initiatives,” Bloomberg, April 18, 2024
“America First Legal, a Trump-Aligned Group, Is Spoiling for a Fight,” New York Times, March 21, 2024
“Industry Firms Water Down DEI Language as Legal Threats Loom,” FundFire, March 7, 2024
“A federal judge has ordered a US minority business agency to serve all races,” Associated Press, March 6, 2024
“Business is Booming for DEI Lawyers as Firms Ask ‘What’s Legal?,” Bloomberg, March 5, 2024
“Minority Business Grants: A New Front in the Legal Battle Over Racial Preferences,” Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2024
“Facing Backlash, Some Corporate Leaders Go ‘Under the Radar’ With D.E.I.,” New York Times, January 22, 2024
“As diversity, equity and inclusion comes under legal attack, companies quietly alter their programs,” Associated Press, January 14, 2024
“Key ways to minimize legal risk in the wake of anti-DEI action,” Thomson Reuters, December 7, 2023
“The Future of Corporate DEI w/ Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow,” Sundays with Verna Podcast, December 3, 2023
“Conservative activist sues 2 major law firms over diversity fellowships,” Washington Post, August 23, 2023
“How to shore up diversity efforts against attacks,” Charterworks, August 20, 2023
“CityLine: The decline of corporate DEI,” WCVB - Boston, August 2, 2023
“GOP attorneys general shift the battle over affirmative action to the workplace,” Associated Press, July 14, 2023
“Where now for workplace diversity after court’s affirmative action ruling?” Guardian, July 2, 2023
“Companies Stick to Workplace Diversity Despite End of Affirmative Action,” Barron’s, June 30, 2023