Design and implement tailored civil rights compliance strategies that advance equity and mitigate risk.
At Foley Hoag, we are passionate about helping our clients achieve their goals while navigating the complex and rapidly evolving civil rights and equal opportunity landscape. We understand that building inclusive, equitable organizations is both a strategic priority and a legal imperative. We also know that civil rights compliance is not a one-size-fits-all solution but a tailored and holistic approach that requires innovation, alignment, and accountability at all levels of the organization.
Our Civil Rights Compliance practice advises on the full spectrum of federal, state, and local civil rights requirements, including equal employment opportunity laws, public accommodations and accessibility mandates, and nondiscrimination obligations for recipients of federal funding.
We support clients at every stage of the compliance lifecycle. This includes risk assessments and program design; audits and impact reviews; governance structures and board reporting; policy drafting and rollout; training for leadership and staff; monitoring, metrics, and remediation; and communications to internal and external stakeholders. We conduct privileged investigations and assessments of workplace practices, hiring and promotion systems, algorithmic tools, supplier diversity programs, and accessibility, with a focus on identifying and addressing disparate impact, bias, and systemic risk. When issues arise, we respond to and resolve inquiries from regulators and enforcement agencies—including EEOC, DOJ, OFCCP, and OCR—manage internal investigations, and defend against civil litigation, administrative charges, and class actions.
Our team is composed of diverse and multi-disciplinary lawyers and compliance professionals who understand the legal, operational, and cultural issues that affect your organization and your stakeholders. We bring deep experience advising boards, senior leadership, and implementation teams, and we leverage our own commitment and leadership in advancing equity to deliver practical, privileged counsel that balances risk, mission, and measurable outcomes. Whether you seek to build a comprehensive compliance program, modernize existing policies and practices, respond to an enforcement action or investigation, or defend against litigation, we provide integrated, end-to-end support to help you meet your obligations and strengthen your organization.
