PwC Drops Diversity Mandate for Internship Amid Legal Pressure

PwC has shed explicit diversity criteria for an internship program after the firm faced scrutiny from a conservative activist group that opposes corporate racial diversity efforts.

The change, first reported by the Financial Times after the firm released a purpose and inclusion report, broadened eligibility for a student internship program. Last year’s report characterized the firm’s “Start” internship for aspiring leaders as being “uniquely designed for high-performing college sophomores and rising juniors who self-identify as members of traditionally underrepresented minority groups in the professional services industry, including protected veterans and/or individuals with disability.”

The new language encourages those from underrepresented ...