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Key Facts
- Federal level: Title VI makes it unlawful to exclude someone from participation, deny the benefits of, or subject a person to discrimination in any federally funded program or activity based on race, color, or national origin.
- Federal level: Title VII describes unlawful employment practices for employers to fail or refuse to hire or discharge, or otherwise discriminate with respect to employment terms because of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.
- Federal level: Title VII also describes unlawful employment practices for employment agencies to fail or refuse to refer for employment, or otherwise discriminate, on the same protected bases.
- Federal level: 42 U.S.C. § 1981 gives all people in U.S. jurisdiction the same right in every State and Territory to make and enforce contracts and to sue and be parties.
- Federal level: DOJ describes Title VI enforcement as potentially involving administrative complaints to the funding agency and, in federal court, relief as well as possible fund-termination proceedings when voluntary compliance cannot be achieved.
- National overview: The ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession (CREDP) states its mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and the ABA by facilitating the entry, participation, and retention of diverse lawyers.
- National overview: The ABA CREDP FAQs state the Commission was created in 1986 and is the oldest racial and ethnic diversity entity within the ABA.
- National overview: ABA history identifies Stephen N. Zack as the first Hispanic male ABA president (2010).
Last reviewed: May 2026. Legal rules, forms, deadlines, and procedures can change by jurisdiction, agency, and court system.
- From a diversity news story to legal rights what can be verified
- Voluntary professional association efforts and federal nondiscrimination law
- Three federal statutes that often surface in diversity related discussions
- How DOJ describes Title VI enforcement routes
- What the ABA’s CREDP mission says about diversity in the profession
- Where state issues can appear without changing federal statutes
- Bottom line how statutes and mission statements fit together
- Sources
From a diversity news story to legal rights what can be verified
News coverage about professional organizations often uses terms like “diversity” and “inclusion” alongside discussions of discrimination law. In the U.S., the legal rules come from statutes that set federal prohibitions in covered situations, while professional association efforts are voluntary initiatives described by the organization itself.
Voluntary professional association efforts and federal nondiscrimination law
ABA diversity work, including the CREDP mission described in ABA materials, functions as a voluntary effort aimed at the legal profession and the ABA. Federal nondiscrimination statutes define what discrimination is prohibited under specific legal categories, including discrimination in federally assisted programs, in certain employment settings, and in defined contract-and-legal-rights situations.
Three federal statutes that often surface in diversity related discussions
Title VI, Title VII, and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 address discrimination, but they focus on different settings and covered actors. The following table summarizes the setting and the core rule described in the statutory text.
| Statute | Setting described in the text | What the text emphasizes | Core rule described in the text |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title VI (42 U.S.C. § 2000d) | Any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance | No person may be excluded, denied benefits, or subjected to discrimination based on race, color, or national origin | Prohibits exclusion, denial of benefits, and discrimination in covered federally assisted programs and activities |
| Title VII (42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2) | Employment actions by employers and by employment agencies | Certain hiring, discharge, and referral decisions cannot be made (or refused) for protected reasons | Makes certain employment actions and employment-related discrimination unlawful employment practices |
| 42 U.S.C. § 1981 | Legal rights “in every State and Territory” | People within U.S. jurisdiction receive the same contract and court access rights across States and Territories | Grants the rights stated in § 1981, including the right to make and enforce contracts and to sue and be parties |
Title VI focuses on federally assisted programs and activities, as described in 42 U.S.C. § 2000d).
Title VII covers unlawful employment practices by employers and employment agencies, as described in 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-2).
Section 1981 grants equal contract and legal-participation rights across every State and Territory, as described in 42 U.S.C. § 1981.
How DOJ describes Title VI enforcement routes
DOJ describes Title VI as prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance, and it describes possible enforcement paths that can include administrative complaints, federal court relief, and possible fund-termination proceedings when voluntary compliance cannot be achieved in the described situation (DOJ overview of Title VI).
What the ABA’s CREDP mission says about diversity in the profession
ABA materials describe the CREDP mission as promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal profession and the ABA by facilitating the entry, participation, and retention of diverse lawyers (ABA CREDP mission page).
The ABA’s CREDP FAQs state that the Commission was created in 1986 and is the oldest racial and ethnic diversity entity within the ABA (ABA CREDP FAQs).
ABA history identifies Stephen N. Zack as the first Hispanic male ABA president (2010) (ABA history page).
Where state issues can appear without changing federal statutes
Even though federal nondiscrimination statutes supply the governing prohibitions in their covered settings, “state” can still show up in conversations about professional institutions and the legal system. State-level institutions often intersect with how courts and other legal entities operate, and one example of that broader institutional theme appears in individual states tackle issues of judicial independence as ABA offers support.
Bottom line how statutes and mission statements fit together
Federal statutes define the nondiscrimination obligations described in covered settings, while ABA mission materials describe voluntary diversity goals within the profession and within the ABA itself. Confusion usually comes from treating a voluntary professional-association initiative as if it automatically creates the same legal duty as the federal statutory text in those specific covered areas.
