Former Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia Inaugurates CEO Civil Rights Fellowship Webinar Series

Dear CEO Supporters,

When we concluded our fifth annual CEO Civil Rights Fellowship this past August in Washington, D.C., our goal was never to let that intensive gathering be the end of the conversation. Cultivating the next generation of principled legal leaders requires sustained investment, continuous engagement, and active, long-term mentorship.

To turn that commitment into action, the Center for Equal Opportunity recently launched the CEO Fellowship Webinar Series—expanding our flagship summer program into a year-round legal forum. Designed exclusively for our network of fellowship alumni, this initiative connects rising conservative and classical liberal attorneys directly with the nation’s preeminent legal practitioners, scholars, and former senior government officials.

For our inaugural session, we were thrilled to welcome former U.S. Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia, now a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Examining Title VII: From Legislative Intent to Modern Realities

Addressing alumni across multiple fellowship cohorts, Secretary Scalia delivered an incisive analysis of the historical evolution of federal employment discrimination law. He traced Title VII from its landmark passage in 1964 through subsequent statutory amendments and agency guidance, highlighting how modern enforcement doctrines have drifted over six decades—frequently straying from the statute’s fundamental guarantee of race neutrality.

A central point of discussion was Diemert v. City of Seattle, a major workplace civil rights case where CEO helped secure a decisive victory when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit revived claims challenging racially divisive municipal DEI policies. Former CEO President Devon Westhill provided key expert witness testimony in the case, and CEO Policy Fellow Anthony Pericolo represented amici supporting Mr. Diemert before the Ninth Circuit.

Secretary Scalia analyzed the court’s ruling and underscored its broader significance: ideological DEI programs cannot override statutory non-discrimination protections, which belong to every American regardless of race.

Year-Round Mentorship for Future Legal Leaders

This new webinar series represents an essential next chapter for our fellowship program. While our 2026 CEO Fellows received foundational constitutional instruction during their week in the capital, navigating a legal career requires ongoing preparation. By sustaining this platform year-round, CEO ensures our alumni have direct, continuous access to senior leaders as they step into federal clerkships, government agencies, and public interest litigation.

In case you missed it, we also recently announced that 2026 Civil Rights Fellow John Knight has joined CEO as our Annual Legal Fellow for the 2026–2027 academic year. A standout 3L at the University of Miami School of Law, John is assisting CEO leadership with digital communications, expanding our social media outreach across LinkedIn, Facebook, and X/Twitter, and helping broaden our impact nationwide.

Secretary Scalia’s briefing continues an active season of fellowship seminars and instruction:

Together, these seminars reflect our core mission: equipping the next generation of attorneys and advocates with first-hand insights from the courtroom, agency halls, and the public square.

Thank you for your continued partnership and investment in these rising leaders.

Best regards,

Rudy Gersten
Executive Director

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