Attorney General Todd Rokita announced he will block state contracts with law firms that engage in any kind of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, the latest in the DEI purge within the state and the nation.
The attorney general’s office approves all requests from the executive branch for outside counsel. This new rule blocks the hiring of law firms that use characterists like race or sex in hiring or promotion decisions, require DEI trainings, have diversity targets or have DEI offices, fellowships or committees.
“This policy is a firewall to protect our state’s legal representation, ensuring that law firms reject divisive ideologies and uphold the meritocracy and fairness that reflect the values of hard-working Hoosiers,” Rokita said in a statement Sept. 25.
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita speaks to a crowd Tuesday, July 29, 2025, during a press conference at Kenworth of Indianapolis.
The rule isn’t retroactive, but applies to all new contracts and renewals or amendments to existing ones.
Since January, Trump and governors in many red states have been rolling back diversity initiatives that grew to prominence around 2020 amid social justice protests, but have roots dating back to the Civil Rights era. Where proponents see a set of measures intended to allow people a seat at the table who had been purposefully excluded for generations, opponents see a special preference given based on race or gender rather than merit.
In January, a Braun executive order, mimicking a Trump one, barred diversity initiatives from state government. Earlier this month, his administration announced intentions to gut the supplier diversity program, which has been in state law for over 40 years.
One tenet of Rokita’s new rule demonstrates the differences in perspective on diversity initiatives. He said he will block contracts with law firms that participate in the Mansfield Certification program, “which impose quotas disguised as ‘diversity goals.'” Meanwhile, in a recent court ruling, a federal judge wrote that the Mansfield program “expressly does not establish any hiring quotas or other illegally discriminatory practices, requiring only that participating law firms consider attorneys from diverse backgrounds for certain positions.”
Contact IndyStar Statehouse reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on X @kayla_dwyer17.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: AG Todd Rokita blocks state contracts with law firms that employ DEI