Legal Scholars, Educators, Corporate Leaders and Students met to Discuss the Supreme Court’s Decision at a Program Hosted by LEAD Fund and Korn Ferry

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, July 26, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- The Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity (LEAD Fund), a national not-for-profit organization styled as a “Think and Do Tank,” joined international consulting firm Korn Ferry to host a Washington, DC Symposium on the Future of Affirmative Action since the Supreme Court’s recent decision on diversity in higher education admissions. In Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College and Students for Fair Admissions Inc v. the University of North Carolina (SFFA) the plaintiffs, 600 U.S. ____, Docket No. 20-1199 and No. 21–707, White and Asian-American students, asked the Court to rule that race-conscious higher education admissions programs should be declared unconstitutional under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Reversing 45 years of precedent, the Court agreed.

Leaders from the legal community, educators, corporate leaders and students met on July 24th and discussed the implications of the decision for underrepresented students seeking admission to the nation’s leading colleges and universities. LEAD Fund Board Chair Dr. Christopher Metzler said, “We had a thoughtful examination of the implications of this decision for future opportunities of underrepresented students seeking admission to selective colleges and universities. This will be the first of many such meetings.” Randall Ian Thames, Senior Partner, Executive Advisor, Korn Ferry added, “The need for an increased focus on DEI has never been more urgent as the Supreme Court decision has illustrated.” The Symposium explored strategies that academic institutions and employers can take in light of this landmark decision.

The Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity (LEAD Fund), a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization, was established to provide thought leadership in promoting inclusive organizations and institutions through research and education on issues related to diversity, social responsibility, human and civil rights. Korn Ferry is a global organizational consulting firm. It works with clients to design optimal organization structures, roles, and responsibilities.

Carol Ashley, lawyer for Jackson Lewis P.C. and co-author of an amicus brief filed by the LEAD Fund, the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED), a LEAD Fund affiliate, et al., urged employers to continue promoting diversity programs, while ensuring that they are in compliance with the equal opportunity laws. David Hinojosa, who represented students in the case, urged academic institutions and employers not to overreact, however. He stressed that the case involved admissions, not employment or other sectors. Elizabeth Beck, who is entering law school in the fall, emphasized that students seeking admission need guidance on how to craft their application essays that show the challenges of race in their young lives. Some institutions limit the essays to only 300 words.

For more information about the LEAD Fund and its programs, go to www.leadfund.org.
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Shirley J. Wilcher
Fund for Leadership, Equity, Access and Diversity
+1 240-893-9475
shirleyj@leadfund.org
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