State Bar of Wisconsin agrees to change diversity definition in lawsuit settlement

By SCOTT BAUER
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin association representing attorneys has agreed to change the definition of “diversity” to settle a federal lawsuit brought by a conservative law firm. The lawsuit brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty in December argued the internship program unconstitutionally discriminates based on race. The State Bar of Wisconsin said Thursday that under terms of the settlement, its “diversity clerkship program” would continue unchanged under the new definition. The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty declared victory, saying “mandatory and annual State Bar dues will not fund internships and policies primarily based on race, but rather on merit and diversity of viewpoint.”