Diversity Trends in the Legal Industry
The legal industry — like many other professional industries — has been slowly, but surely making strides in improving representation of women, minorities, and various other underrepresented groups.
Diversity is more than just a trend, however, or even a social responsibility — statistics show that more diverse companies tend to perform better than their industry peers. For example, studies conducted by Deloitte and McKinsey reveal that diverse companies significantly outperform their less-diverse competitors, and that a culture of inclusion leads to performance improvements at the team level. As such, it’s critical that firms and in-house departments understand that coordinated attempts to resolve diversity issues (i.e., a lack of gender or racial diversity in the workplace) are not charitable at their core, and the narrative of workplace diversity should not necessarily be framed in that manner. The data is unequivocally clear: diversity is significantly correlated with high-performance. Any firm or in-house department interested in improving their bottom line would do well to re-examine their diversity and inclusion policies, and the execution thereof.
If you are a member of an underrepresented group, you may be curious about trends in the legal industry and what relevant stakeholders are doing to make their businesses more inclusive. Though there are still serious diversity issues in the legal industry, there has never been a better time to enter the workforce as a woman, minority, or other underrepresented group. For now, let’s take a brief look at some trends that have begun to surface. Consider the following.
Diversity Means More Than Gender and Race Representation
When most people think of diversity in the workplace, they think about gender diversity and racial diversity. The reality, however, is much more nuanced. Firms and in-house departments are beginning to understand that diversity means more than just gender and race representation in the workplace. In Biglaw, for example, a diverse firm environment is one in which there is reasonable representation of LGBT persons, gender identity, religious identity, age, disabled persons, and various other underrepresented persons, in addition to representation of gender and race.
It is not sufficient for firms and in-house departments in the legal industry to hire and develop inclusion initiatives and programs to suit a specific underrepresented group. True diversity demands that the legal industry make expansive changes to include all relevant underrepresented groups. Great strides are being made, of course, but the industry still has a long way to go.
Inclusion is Necessary — Not Just Diversity
In the workplace context, it’s important that there not only be diverse representation, but also that diverse groups are “included.” So, are the principles of diversity and inclusion different, and in what ways are the two principles different?
Diversity is quite a bit different than inclusion, though it’s easy to get the two mixed up. To understand the difference, it’s best to consider a brief example. Suppose that there is a Biglaw firm that has a fairly reasonable, proportional amount of representation in the workplace — there are a high percentage of women attorneys, a high percentage of various ethnicities, LGBT persons, and more. This reasonably proportional representation would constitute “diversity.”
Diversity is not inclusion, however. A diverse workplace can still not be inclusive. In a diverse workplace, for example, women attorneys might be invited to important conference calls, but the environment may be such that women are discouraged from speaking with clients. An inclusive work culture is one in which there is not only diversity, but on in which equal participation is encouraged for all persons.
Support Groups
Though support groups for various underrepresented groups have existed in some form at big firms and in-house departments for awhile now, the trend in recent years has been for firms and in-house departments to expand these support and mentorship programs (i.e., African-American attorney groups, mentorship for women attorneys, etc.). At large corporations, the program/policy may not be specific to attorneys, and is likely to be company-wide.
Support and mentorship for women, minorities, and other underrepresented groups is critical as it helps such persons overcome workplace barriers that can be difficult for those outside their group to understand. For example, a mentorship program for women attorneys might connect young associates with older, successful attorneys who can help them effectively navigate the gender conflicts that arise in a professional environment.
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If you’re considering making the transition over to a new position at a different firm (or in-house department), you should speak with an experienced legal recruiter as soon as possible. At Garb Jaffe & Associates, we have a long track record of success in placing attorneys with prestigious law firms and corporations across the state of California, and will advise throughout the recruitment process so that you can secure an ideal placement. Our attorney-recruiters have a deep understanding of the California legal market, and have their fingers on the pulse of changing trends — including firm diversity initiatives, inclusion issues, and more.
Call us at (310) 207-0727 to schedule a consultation with one of our Los Angeles legal recruiters today. We look forward to speaking with you.