It’s Time to Get DEI Out of Missouri Courts
Missouri Courts have a DEI problem
Missouri conservatives already know the background here.
Last year, the Governor moved to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion mandates from state government.
That decision was rooted in a simple idea. The state should treat people equally under the law and should not require ideological frameworks as a condition of employment or advancement.
Despite clear direction from the executive branch and growing public opposition to DEI, Missouri’s legal system still requires DEI training.
DEI requirements continue to show up through professional rules, accreditation standards, and continuing education expectations tied to the practice of law.
This is institutional inertia at best and outright defiance at worst.
Courts exist to apply the law neutrally, not to advance ideological agendas.
When DEI is embedded into the structures governing attorneys and the judiciary, it undermines public trust in the very system meant to protect equal justice. Missourians should never have to wonder whether legal outcomes are being influenced by ideology rather than facts, statutes, and precedent.
And the data matters here.
Supporters of DEI often claim these mandates improve outcomes. The reality is that DEI rhetoric and programming do not translate into measurable changes in hiring outcomes.
Public opinion is shifting as well. A growing share of American workers believe organizations are paying too much attention to DEI rather than focusing on core performance and mission.
DEI statements function as ideological screening tools, placing pressure on professionals to conform rather than compete on competence and ethics.
Diversity training models do not produce lasting behavioral change and can actually generate backlash and division.
Yet despite all of this, DEI remains embedded in Missouri’s legal system, not because it works, but because it has gone largely unchallenged.
That is why HB 2086 matters.
This bill draws a clear line. DEI has been rejected as state policy; it should not be quietly reimposed through licensing, accreditation, or professional requirements.
Our courts should be focused on the rule of law, not social engineering. Our legal profession should be governed by competence and ethics, not ideological checklists.
Missouri should not tolerate systems that say one thing publicly while doing another behind closed doors.
Lawmakers should take this opportunity to rid Missouri’s courts of DEI mandates that never should have been there in the first place.
Andy Bakker
Executive Director
Liberty Alliance USA