{"id":2108454,"date":"2023-11-27T05:11:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-27T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-law-firm-collects-photographs-of-potential-applicants-raising-discrimination-concerns\/"},"modified":"2023-11-27T05:15:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-27T10:15:45","slug":"top-law-firm-collects-photographs-of-potential-applicants-raising-discrimination-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/top-law-firm-collects-photographs-of-potential-applicants-raising-discrimination-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Law firm&#8217;s photo collection of applicants sparks discrimination concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">18<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftop-law-firm-collects-photographs-of-potential-applicants-raising-discrimination-concerns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2108454&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Weil, Gotshal &#038; Manges Requests &#8216;Optional&#8217; Headshots\u2063 from\u200b Minority Student Group at Northwestern<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<div>\n<p>One of \u2064the top law firms in the United States, Weil,\u2062 Gotshal &#038; Manges, is\u2062 using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yale-law-school-students-to-media-what-the-actual-f\/\" title=\"Yale Law School Students to Media: \u2018What the Actual F\u2014!\u2019\">law school student groups<\/a> to collect photographs \u200cof \u200cpotential applicants to its summer programs, a move \u200cexperts say\u2062 violates\u2062 federal guidance on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bidens-blue-state-claw-back\/\" title=\"Biden\u2019s Blue State Claw Back\">civil rights law<\/a>\u2063 and could expose the firm to liability.<\/p>\n<p>Weil has \u200dasked Northwestern\u2063 Law School&#8217;s Latino \u2062Law Students Association to compile a &#8220;resume book&#8221;\u2014complete with &#8220;optional&#8221; headshots\u2014so that the firm can \u2064&#8221;assess&#8221; candidates for its diversity \u2063fellowship and first-year \u200bsummer \u200cassociate program, according to a\u2062 Nov.\u2064 20 \u2064email \u2062from Angela Cifarelli, a second-year \u200claw student on the affinity group&#8217;s \u200dboard.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;According to Weil, headshots are completely optional,&#8221; Cifarelli \u200btold the\u2064 group&#8217;s members. &#8220;We look forward to\u2062 receiving\u2064 your submissions and working with Weil to help them identify outstanding candidates for their programs!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The request for photos \u200bcould put Weil, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weil.com\/about-weil\/diversity-equity-and-inclusion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">touts<\/a> its commitment to &#8220;racial \u2063justice,&#8221; in \u2064the crosshairs of federal agencies tasked\u2063 with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-justice-department-pick-opposed-enforcing-civil-rights-laws-against-blacks\/\" title=\"Biden Justice Department Pick Opposed Enforcing Civil Rights Laws Against Blacks\">enforcing civil rights law<\/a>. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) states \u200bthat &#8220;employers should not \u200cask for a photograph of an applicant&#8221; \u2062because of the potential for race discrimination. While not illegal in and of\u2064 themselves, said Andrea Lucas, one\u2064 of the agency&#8217;s\u200b five commissioners, such requests raise \u200cquestions \u200dabout employers&#8217; motives and how the photos will be used.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Even giving applicants the &#8216;option&#8217; to provide a headshot could serve as\u200b evidence of an employer&#8217;s intent \u2063to discriminate based on \u200brace, \u2064color, sex, or\u200c other protected characteristics,&#8221; Lucas told the\u2063 <i>Washington Free Beacon<\/i>. \u2062Weil and\u2064 Cifarelli did not respond to\u200c requests for comment.<\/p>\n<p>The call for photos \u200bcomes as law firms across the country are, at least on paper, backing away from race-based hiring programs amid the torrent of litigation\u200d unleashed by\u2063 the Supreme Court&#8217;s \u2064ban on affirmative\u200c action. Perkins Coie and Morrison Foerster <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/legal\/second-major-us-law-firm-changes-diversity-fellowship-after-lawsuit-2023-10-06\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opened \u2062their diversity fellowships to all races<\/a> after \u2063being hit \u200bwith discrimination lawsuits in September, for example. And at least one\u200c firm, Adams and Reese, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.law.com\/americanlawyer\/2023\/10\/13\/adams-and-reese-folds-minority-fellowship-after-blum-targets-3-more-law-firms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ended<\/a> its diversity fellowship entirely.<\/p>\n<p>Requests for \u200bheadshots could become more common \u2064as\u200d law firms navigate these legal waters, with visual materials\u2014obtained through a \u200cmiddleman like Northwestern&#8217;s \u200cLatino group\u2014used to suss \u200cout\u200c an \u2064applicant&#8217;s race. That would help programs such as Weil&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.weil.com\/careers\/diversity-fellowships-for-1l-and-2l-law-school-students\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">diversity fellowship<\/a>, which \u200bawards \u2064students $50,000\u2062 and is officially &#8220;open to all,&#8221; practice discrimination without overt \u2062racial criteria.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Weil&#8217;s actions \u200cshould\u2063 dramatically increase \u200dits exposure to litigation and\u2062 liability,&#8221; said Dan Morenoff, the executive director of \u200bthe American Civil Rights Project, which litigates reverse \u2063discrimination cases. &#8220;At \u200ca minimum, they should be the basis for an EEOC \u2063investigation.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>It is not clear \u200cwhether Weil, which sponsors the Latino Law Students Association, has made similar\u200c requests of other affinity groups at Northwestern or \u2062peer\u2062 law schools. But its relationship with the group is\u2062 hardly unique.<\/p>\n<p>Many \u2063big law firms now sponsor \u200brace-based \u200bstudent organizations at elite schools, funding their operations and hosting \u200critzy recruiting events\u2062 with an eye \u200ctoward attracting minorities to the\u2064 firms. Those\u2063 arrangements give firms like Weil,\u200c where associates <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/Salary\/Weil-Gotshal-Washington-DC-Salaries-EI_IE3434.0,12_IL.13,26_IM911.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">can make<\/a> more than $300,000 each year, \u200dconsiderable sway over their student liaisons.<\/p>\n<p>This is not the \u200bfirst time that \u200ba prominent legal institution has raised \u2063eyebrows with its optical requests. Columbia\u200b Law School <a href=\"https:\/\/freebeacon.com\/campus\/columbia-law-school-said-it-would-require-applicants-to-submit-video-statements-in-the-wake-of-affirmative-action-ban-then-it-backtracked\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">drew \u200ccensure<\/a> this summer when\u2062 it \u200dsaid that applicants would be required to submit 90-second &#8220;video statements&#8221;\u200b alongside their normal essays, a\u2062 move\u200c widely\u2064 seen as a way \u2064to\u2063 circumvent the\u200d Supreme Court&#8217;s affirmative\u200b action ban. The law school backtracked within hours of\u200b its announcement,\u2063 claiming that the requirement had been posted &#8220;inadvertently.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How can law firms ensure that \u2063their \u200ddiversity fellowship programs are meeting\u200b their diversity goals without potentially discriminating \u2063against applicants based on race?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Ps&#8221; target=&#8221;_blank&#8221; rel=&#8221;noopener&#8221;>diversity fellowship<\/a> \u200densure they are meeting their \u2063diversity \u200bgoals. \u2064However, these requests also\u200b raise \u200cconcerns \u200dabout potential \u2064discrimination and \u2063the use of race\u2062 as a determining \u2063factor in hiring decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the request for \u2062headshots raises\u200c questions about \u2063the role of student groups \u200din collecting and providing this\u200b information to law firms. While \u200bit \u200dis common \u200cfor law\u200c firms\u2064 to work with student organizations for recruitment\u200b purposes, using these groups to collect photographs of potential applicants may put the groups in a difficult position. They must balance\u2062 their desire to assist their members in securing opportunities with the potential legal and\u200c ethical implications\u200d of sharing this information.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting\u2063 that Northwestern Law School&#8217;s Latino Law\u200c Students Association is not the only student group\u2062 involved in this practice. Other student organizations may also be asked \u200bto compile resume books \u2064with optional headshots for law firms. This \u200cindicates a \u200cbroader trend across \u200blaw\u200d schools where student groups are being utilized in recruitment efforts.<\/p>\n<p>In response to the request, \u200csome \u2062students have expressed concern and discomfort. They worry that the use of headshots could lead to biased evaluation\u2063 and potential discrimination. These concerns are not unwarranted, as studies have \u200dshown that unconscious biases can influence hiring decisions \u200cwhen visuals, such as photographs, \u200care involved.<\/p>\n<p>Law firms like Weil, Gotshal &#038;\u2064 Manges should be aware of \u200bthe potential legal and \u200dreputational risks associated \u200dwith these requests. While the practice may not be\u200d explicitly illegal, it\u2062 is certainly\u2062 controversial\u2064 and raises questions about compliance with civil rights\u2063 laws. To avoid such issues, firms should ensure their hiring processes are fair\u2063 and \u2062unbiased, focusing\u200c on \u2064relevant qualifications and experience rather than personal characteristics.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, it is important\u200c for both law firms\u200c and student groups to carefully \u200dconsider the \u200bimplications of using headshots in \u2064the recruitment process. \u200dWhile diversity and inclusion\u200c are important objectives,\u200d they should\u200c be pursued \u200bin a \u2064manner that does not risk \u2062perpetuating discriminatory practices or biases. The legal profession should\u200c strive for \u2063equal opportunities\u200b for all applicants, irrespective \u2064of their race or\u200c other protected characteristics.<\/p>\n<p>As the legal landscape continues to evolve, it will be crucial for\u200d law firms and institutions to navigate these issues carefully and ethically, ensuring that their recruitment practices are in\u200b line \u2063with federal guidance and \u200bpromote equal opportunities \u200cfor\u2064 all aspiring lawyers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Weil, Gotshal &amp; Manges, a leading US law firm, requested &#8216;optional&#8217; headshots from a minority student group at Northwestern (weil.com). This action, deemed by experts as a breach of federal civil rights guidelines, involves using law school student groups to gather photos of prospective applicants for their summer programs<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":184,"featured_media":2108455,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[544],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2108454","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-free-beacon"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108454","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/184"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2108454"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2108454\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2108455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2108454"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2108454"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2108454"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}