Anti-DEI group files FTC complaint over SEO legal fellowship
A dispute over who qualifies for elite legal internships is now before a federal regulator, putting major law firms under renewed scrutiny.
Americans for Equal Opportunity, an organization that opposes diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, filed a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on August 12 over the Law Fellowship program. The program, run by the nonprofit Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO), places students in internships at major law firms.
The complaint alleges that New York-based SEO and the employers participating in the program may be involved in deceptive advertising and unlawful employment practices. Americans for Equal Opportunity is asking the FTC to investigate the organization and its partners.
SEO operates several internship programs for recent college graduates, including placements at Wall Street banks, law firms, and other corporations. An SEO representative did not immediately provide comment after the filing.
What are the allegations against the Law Fellowship program?
Americans for Equal Opportunity said that SEO allegedly misleads law firms about the selection principles for Law Fellowship participants. According to the complainants, the organization tells partners that it recruits students from low-income families, first-generation college students, and other underrepresented groups.
However, the complaint states that race and ethnicity are allegedly the actual criteria used to select candidates. The group also believes that SEO’s activities encourage anticompetitive conduct in the legal services market.
Filing a complaint does not automatically trigger an investigation. The FTC may review the submission and decide whether there are grounds for an inquiry, or launch one on its own initiative. A commission representative declined to comment.
Previous complaint and the FTC’s focus on DEI in the legal sector
The new filing echoes a complaint that Americans for Equal Opportunity submitted to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last month. At the time, the organization accused SEO and 14 law firms of discriminating against white, heterosexual, and Christian applicants.
The FTC has become one of the key federal agencies in President Donald Trump’s campaign to roll back DEI initiatives in the legal industry. In January, the commission warned 42 law firms that their DEI-related hiring practices could be unfair and anticompetitive.
In June, consulting firm Diversity Lab, which worked on gender and racial diversity practices at law firms and corporate legal departments, ceased operations amid an FTC investigation. Americans for Equal Opportunity said that SEO’s program has the same problems as Diversity Lab.
The FTC is right: DEI programs create problems for competition.
– Clegg Ivey, president of Americans for Equal Opportunity
Which law firms hosted SEO interns in 2026?
According to Americans for Equal Opportunity, 15 law firms hosted participants in the SEO Law Fellowship program in 2026:
- Alston & Bird;
- Cooley;
- Covington & Burling;
- Cravath;
- Debevoise & Plimpton;
- Foley Hoag;
- Jones Day;
- Morgan Lewis;
- Patterson Belknap;
- Proskauer Rose;
- Quinn Emanuel;
- Wachtell;
- White & Case;
- Williams & Connolly;
- WilmerHale.
Representatives of the listed law firms did not immediately comment after receiving requests. The FTC’s next steps will depend on whether the commission decides to open an investigation in response to Americans for Equal Opportunity’s complaint.
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