{"id":115186,"date":"2025-04-16T14:38:04","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:38:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/16\/legal-nonprofit-backs-away-from-diversity-that-should-scare-everyone\/"},"modified":"2025-04-16T14:38:04","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T22:38:04","slug":"legal-nonprofit-backs-away-from-diversity-that-should-scare-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/04\/16\/legal-nonprofit-backs-away-from-diversity-that-should-scare-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Nonprofit Backs Away From Diversity. That Should Scare Everyone."},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Legal Services NYC has quietly scrubbed references to its diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging commitments from its public-facing website. The move, announced internally via email on Tuesday, marks the latest in a growing line of DEI retreats across the legal industry. But this time, it\u2019s not Biglaw chickening out, it\u2019s a nonprofit built to serve communities marginalized by the very discrimination it now feels compelled to tiptoe around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know this does not feel good, but we are not retreating. We are trying to survive,\u201d the email assures. <\/p>\n

The message, signed by LSNYC\u2019s DEIB Working Group, explained that they made the \u201chard but strategic decision\u201d after conversations with \u201cDEIB experts, legal orgs, and legal consultants and with warnings from LSC president Ron Flagg about threats to our funding.\u201d The last point rings ominously as Flagg met with the incel brigade over at DOGE on Monday<\/a>, suggesting a direct political threat to the nation\u2019s capacity to provide legal services for clients in need from Big Balls or whichever serious professional runs that outfit these days.<\/p>\n

LSNYC receives roughly 15 percent of its funding from LSC. <\/p>\n

Biglaw collaborators deserve every bit of scorn and derision<\/a>, both in public opinion and when it comes to their bottom line<\/a>, but legal services for the poor don\u2019t have the same advantages as a billion dollar (or more) law firm. An organization struggling to help as many people as possible on a meager budget can\u2019t easily redirect resources to fighting the federal government over its website. Leadership clearly felt that embracing some invisibility might offer safety.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The lesson of the last couple weeks is that this administration saves its most brutal kicks for those who try to make peace. Columbia gave the administration everything it wanted<\/a> and it\u2019s getting another shot to the genitals<\/a>. The Supreme Court gave Trump a path to save face on deportations<\/a> and he opted to ignore their 9-0 order<\/a>. And now all the Biglaw firms that thought they\u2019d bought respite in exchange for some veterans\u2019 charities work are about to get \u201cassigned\u201d work as Trump administration deputies<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Who could\u2019ve predicted except\u2026 us and anyone who has ever watched Star Wars<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

For the sake of LSNYC and the population it serves, hopefully this gets the administration off their back and their federal funding continues uninterrupted. But it won\u2019t. Whether the administration decides to make the fight about immigration counseling or their LGBTQ+ rights work or just write it off as a simple DOGE cost-cutting move, this White House is going to screw with their funding.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just extra sad to see here at an institution where diversity feels especially core to its mission. Not that diversity isn\u2019t important in all sectors of the legal industry, but when the work is helping clients confront legal systems shaped by inequality, shying from the word \u201cdiversity\u201d takes on a measure of self-erasure.<\/p>\n

The communities LSNYC serves don\u2019t get to remove themselves from the conversation about race, identity, or inclusion. That\u2019s not an option for them. It\u2019s tragic that the lawyers who serve them are put in this position.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Legal Nonprofit Backs Away From Diversity. That Should Scare Everyone.<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Legal Services NYC has quietly scrubbed references to its diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging commitments from its public-facing website. The move, announced internally via email on Tuesday, marks the latest in a growing line of DEI retreats across the legal industry. But this time, it\u2019s not Biglaw chickening out, it\u2019s a nonprofit built to serve communities marginalized by the very discrimination it now feels compelled to tiptoe around.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know this does not feel good, but we are not retreating. We are trying to survive,\u201d the email assures. <\/p>\n

The message, signed by LSNYC\u2019s DEIB Working Group, explained that they made the \u201chard but strategic decision\u201d after conversations with \u201cDEIB experts, legal orgs, and legal consultants and with warnings from LSC president Ron Flagg about threats to our funding.\u201d The last point rings ominously as Flagg met with the incel brigade over at DOGE on Monday<\/a>, suggesting a direct political threat to the nation\u2019s capacity to provide legal services for clients in need from Big Balls or whichever serious professional runs that outfit these days.<\/p>\n

LSNYC receives roughly 15 percent of its funding from LSC. <\/p>\n

Biglaw collaborators deserve every bit of scorn and derision<\/a>, both in public opinion and when it comes to their bottom line<\/a>, but legal services for the poor don\u2019t have the same advantages as a billion dollar (or more) law firm. An organization struggling to help as many people as possible on a meager budget can\u2019t easily redirect resources to fighting the federal government over its website. Leadership clearly felt that embracing some invisibility might offer safety.<\/p>\n

It won\u2019t.<\/p>\n

The lesson of the last couple weeks is that this administration saves its most brutal kicks for those who try to make peace. Columbia gave the administration everything it wanted<\/a> and it\u2019s getting another shot to the genitals<\/a>. The Supreme Court gave Trump a path to save face on deportations<\/a> and he opted to ignore their 9-0 order<\/a>. And now all the Biglaw firms that thought they\u2019d bought respite in exchange for some veterans\u2019 charities work are about to get \u201cassigned\u201d work as Trump administration deputies<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Who could\u2019ve predicted except\u2026 us and anyone who has ever watched Star Wars<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

For the sake of LSNYC and the population it serves, hopefully this gets the administration off their back and their federal funding continues uninterrupted. But it won\u2019t. Whether the administration decides to make the fight about immigration counseling or their LGBTQ+ rights work or just write it off as a simple DOGE cost-cutting move, this White House is going to screw with their funding.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just extra sad to see here at an institution where diversity feels especially core to its mission. Not that diversity isn\u2019t important in all sectors of the legal industry, but when the work is helping clients confront legal systems shaped by inequality, shying from the word \u201cdiversity\u201d takes on a measure of self-erasure.<\/p>\n

The communities LSNYC serves don\u2019t get to remove themselves from the conversation about race, identity, or inclusion. That\u2019s not an option for them. It\u2019s tragic that the lawyers who serve them are put in this position.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Headshot\"Joe Patrice<\/a>\u00a0is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. Feel free to\u00a0email<\/a> any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or Bluesky<\/a> if you\u2019re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The post Legal Nonprofit Backs Away From Diversity. That Should Scare Everyone.<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Legal Services NYC has quietly scrubbed references to its diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging commitments from its public-facing website. The move, announced internally via email on Tuesday, marks the latest in a growing line of DEI retreats across the legal industry. But this time, it\u2019s not Biglaw chickening out, it\u2019s a nonprofit built to serve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":115187,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-115186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Headshot-300x200-0sIYiG.jpeg?fit=300%2C200&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115186","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=115186"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/115186\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/115187"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=115186"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=115186"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=115186"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}