To truly be an example of diversity and inclusion in law firms, it`s important to spend time in our communities and practices to see how we can make a difference when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion in advocacy. So be sure to create an external communication and marketing strategy that advocates for the diversity and inclusion of law firms. I often hear that the profession`s diversity challenges are a pipeline issue, but we can`t just blame the pipeline. The legal profession must actively recognize and dismantle the systems that have been in place for decades that limit the basin. However, there are several ways to combat diversity fatigue. And it starts with the recognition of small victories. When only 16.1% of lawyers have different backgrounds, it`s easy to get overwhelmed by the amount of work that needs to be done. But the perspective is necessary: this figure has risen from 10.3% 15 years ago, so progress has been made. Inclusive teams reflect the diversity of our communities, which means they can make better decisions and find more innovative solutions. This is the key to a positive corporate culture, profitability and growth. However, many law firms are still grappling with the diversity and inclusion of law firms.
The topic of diversity and inclusion (commonly referred to as “D&I”) in law firms has been discussed at certain levels in law firms for many years. But it is not enough to create policies and programs. The reality is that the composition of the legal industry is still populated by a largely homogeneous racial and gender group. According to the ABA`s latest National Lawyer Population Survey, 86 percent of lawyers are white, a statistic that hasn`t changed much in the past decade. In addition, the survey found that only 37% of lawyers were women. Diversity requires greater inclusion in factors such as race or ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation or identification and age. One initiative that has been very successful is, for example, the supervision of students by municipal debate leagues. There are more than 20 chapters of these leagues in the country, and more than half of the participants plan to enter the legal field after graduation. It`s one thing to tell your team that diversity is a priority. But it is unlikely to progress without tangible efforts to recognize and counter prejudice. While the ABA and other groups regularly publish data on diversity in the legal profession, there is still no in-depth study of the career paths of Asian-American law students and lawyers.
According to a 2017 report titled A Portrait of Asian Americans in the Law — a two-year study co-authored by California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin H. Liu and other law graduates and Yale graduates — Asian Americans are the largest minority group in large law firms; Nevertheless, they have the highest turnover rate and rank the lowest ratio of partners per employee. Id. at p. 3. Among Asian Americans, while women are numerically superior among law firm staff, men nearly double the number of women at the partner level. Id. at p. 18.
These figures reflect the lack of seniority of Asian-American lawyers in the legal profession. Without leadership support, diversity initiatives will always fail. The diversification of the legal profession is a step towards solving many of the problems identified by the state Supreme Court in its open letter. As abA`s Law Practice Today publication puts it, diversity represents reality, drives innovation, enables employers to attract top talent, enables companies to attract customers, and leads to economic growth. What is at stake is also the perceived legitimacy of the justice system itself. Trust in the courts results from a judicial system in which judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers represent the entire population. The courts, which rely on lawyers from all sectors, still have a long way to go to obtain full representation on the bench. In terms of racial and ethnic diversity in the legal field, the figures paint an even bleaker picture. For example, according to the ABA`s National Lawyer Population Survey, 4 percent of active lawyers in 2007 identified as black or African-American and 4 percent as Hispanic or Latino. In 2017, these figures had increased only slightly to 5% each. However, data collected by the U.S.
Census Bureau shows that in 2016, black or African-American people made up 13.3 percent of the total U.S. population and Hispanics or Latinos made up 17.8 percent of the total U.S. population. The percentage of active lawyers who identified as Asian remained constant at 2 percent, and those who identified as Native Americans remained at about 1 percent. These numbers sometimes vary slightly from one registration authority to another, but the fact that these minority populations remain woefully underrepresented in the legal profession is obvious no matter where you look. Both types of mentoring help build relationships within different communities and encourage participants to enter the profession after graduation or reach their full potential after doing so. At the same time, there is still much to be done to create truly diverse and inclusive law firms and legal services across the industry. Update: This story has been changed to include the full name of the Illinois Supreme Court Commission for which Kendra Abercrombie is responsible for diversity. August 10 – A recent study by the American Bar Association found that the legal profession in America has remained predominantly white and male over the past decade, and that racial diversity among lawyers has actually declined in some ways.
By fostering diversity within an organization, especially at the executive level, leaders can change the culture within the organization and create a workplace with an emphasis on inclusion. The positive effects on perception, attachment and the end result are extremely practical and the right thing to do. Kendra Abercrombie is the Diversity Lead for the Illinois Supreme Court`s Commission on Professionalism and previously led diversity recruitment efforts at Indiana University`s Maurer School of Law. Aaron Taylor is the Executive Director of the AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence and was previously Director of the Law School Survey of Student Engagement. Taylor and Abercrombie are both black. Rebecca Tsosie is Professor of Yaqui Ancestry at the University of Arizona James E.