EQUAL OPPORTUNITY IN MINORITY CONTRACTING

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Candice Francis / Communications Director, LCCR /  415.543.9697 x216 / cfrancis@lccr.com
A U.S. District Court Judge granted our motion on March 23 and ruled that the California Department of Transportation’s equal opportunity program for contracting businesses can continue its mission to ensure that minority and women-owned businesses have equal ground to compete for federal stimulus funds and other federal contracts. As a result of Lawyers’ Committee’s ongoing advocacy, Caltrans formally re-implemented race- and gender-conscious contracting procedures that give minority and women-owned small businesses a fair shot at competing for contracts; however, a lawsuit filed in 2009 by the Associated General Contractors of San Diego threatened to undermine that work. Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, Lawyers’ Committee coordinated client groups to intervene in the case and assembled a litigation team, comprised of a range of nonprofit partners, and pro bono assistance from Bingham McCutchen LLP. Plaintiff has appealed the District Court’s ruling in our favor, so we will now move to defending the program in the Ninth Circuit.

Top