For Immediate Release:
April 27, 2026
Contact:
Edward Blum
703-505-1922
edwardjayblum@gmail.com
American Alliance for Equal Rights Announces Successful Resolution of Lawsuit Against the American Bar Association
(Ft. Worth, Texas) Today, the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER) announced the successful resolution of its lawsuit against the American Bar Association.
The Joint Stipulation is attached.
AAER challenged the ABA’s Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund under 42 U.S.C. §1981, alleging that the program unlawfully restricted eligibility based on a student’s race and ethnicity. At the time the lawsuit was filed, and for many months after, the ABA required applicants to belong to specified racial or ethnic minority groups.
Following the lawsuit, the ABA eliminated those race-based eligibility requirements. Under the revised policy, the scholarship is now formally open to all applicants, regardless of race or ethnicity. The ABA has further agreed that it will be administered on a race-neutral basis. The ABA has also committed that any demographic information collected will be used solely for data tracking and will not be shared with or considered by ABA personnel to determine scholarship recipients. The parties’ resolution of the case follows the Northern District of Illinois’ decision in January 2026, which held that the Alliance had successfully stated a claim for illegal racial discrimination under the federal civil-rights law.
While the ABA denies liability as part of the settlement, the practical outcome is unmistakable. The very policy challenged by AAER has been dismantled and replaced with a race-neutral framework consistent with federal civil rights law. The case has been dismissed with prejudice following the parties’ agreement, avoiding further litigation.
AAER will not comment on damages or fees.
Edward Blum, president of AAER said, “The result of this case speaks for itself. After the Alliance filed a lawsuit, which the American Bar Association initially fiercely resisted, a program that once classified and preferred applicants by race is now open to everyone.”
Blum added, “Organizations, corporations, and schools across the country are recognizing that dividing people by race—whether labeled as “diversity” or otherwise—is inconsistent with our civil rights laws. We expect this decision to encourage further reforms.”
The American Alliance for Equal Rights is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to challenging distinctions and preferences based on race.
You can read the stipulation here.