🔥 Trending FTC Faces Complaint Over DEI Fellowship Program

As of August 14, 2026, the latest news regarding the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) involvement with a law firm fellowship program concerns an anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) group asking the FTC to investigate such a program ¹.

Background on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government. Its primary mission involves enforcing civil antitrust law and promoting consumer protection. The FTC shares jurisdiction over federal civil antitrust law enforcement with the U.S. Department of Justice ². In recent years, the FTC has been active in various consumer protection efforts, including sending over $23.8 million to consumers harmed by deceptive advertising claims and other unlawful conduct by companies like Grubhub in 2026 ⁴⁸. In 2025 alone, FTC actions resulted in over $435 million in redress to consumers nationwide ⁴.

Anti-DEI Group's Request for Investigation

An anti-DEI group has formally requested that the FTC investigate a law fellowship program ¹. The specifics of the group's concerns or the name of the law fellowship program under scrutiny are not detailed in the available sources. However, this request comes in a broader context where the FTC has recently shifted its stance on certain policies. For instance, in August 2026, the FTC announced it would be "ditching 'disparate impact'" liability. This policy change followed an executive order from the previous year, which aimed to eliminate the use of disparate-impact liability in various contexts to prevent violating the Constitution ³.

This development indicates a potential alignment of the FTC's enforcement priorities with a focus on "Restoring Equality of Opportunity and Meritocracy," as outlined in the executive order ³. The anti-DEI group's request for an investigation into a law firm fellowship program could be seen in light of these evolving policy considerations at the FTC.

It is important to note that a request for investigation does not imply that an investigation has been initiated or that any wrongdoing has been found. The FTC evaluates such requests based on its mandate to protect consumers and promote competition ²⁴.