The Coca-Cola Co.’s withdrawal of controversial diversity standards for outside lawyers has sparked questions about the future of similar efforts at major corporations.
The decision, confirmed by the company on Monday, made waves in the legal industry. It highlights a growing debate over where to draw the line between permissible diversity initiatives and unlawful mandates in a profession that remains overwhelmingly White.
“A step back by a major corporation is disheartening to say the least,” said Regina Speed-Bost, a longtime inclusion advocate. “I hope that it’s being replaced with something that they think is going to produce better results.”
Corporate diversity programs have been around for decades, but a climate of skepticism toward race-based policies—the subject of a pending U.S. Supreme Court case—has some wondering whether Coca-Cola’s calculus could have a chilling effect on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.
Coca-Cola sought to have Black lawyers handle at least half of the billable time on the 30% of new matters that the company’s outside counsel would be forced to earmark for diverse attorneys. The policy also would have cut fees by 30% for U.S. firms that failed to meet those requirements.
The policy was one of the more tangible corporate commitments to diversity because it had actual metrics associated with it, said...
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