16 BigLaw firms have no Black partners, including firm ranked No. 1 for diversity
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Many law firms that ranked relatively well on the American Lawyer’s 2021 Diversity Scorecard have no Black partners, including an immigration law firm ranked No. 1 for diversity.
The number of Black partners increased only slightly last year, rising from 2.1% to 2.2%, Law.com reports.
Law firms with no Black partners that ranked well on the 2021 Diversity Scorecard are: Berry Appleman & Leiden ranked No. 1 on the diversity scorecard; Wood Smith Henning & Berman, ranked No. 6 on the diversity scorecard; Kobre & Kim ranked No. 8 on the diversity scorecard; Irell & Manella; ranked No. 9 on the diversity scorecard; and Knobbe Martens, ranked 15th on the scorecard.
Law firms surveyed for the scorecard are among the nation’s 200 top grossing firms (the Am Law 200) and the nation’s 250 largest law firms (the National Law Journal 250).
Here is Law.com’s full list of law firms with no Black partners:
- Berry Appleman & Leiden
- Cole Schotz
- Day Pitney
- Fennemore Craig
- Goulston & Storrs
- Greenspoon Marder
- Hodgson Russ
- Irell & Manella
- Knobbe Martens
- Kobre & Kim
- McAfee & Taft
- Morris, Manning & Martin
- SmithAmundsen
- Snell & Wilmer
- Von Briesen & Roper
- Wood Smith Henning & Berman
Several other firms that listed no Black partners last year said they have since elevated Black attorneys to partnership.
Many law firms on the list told Law.com they are working to increase partnership diversity. They include Cole Schotz, SmithAmundsen, von Briesen & Roper, Fennemore Craig, Irell & Manella, and Berry Appleman & Leiden.
The Diversity Scorecard ranks law firms by adding the U.S. percentage of minority lawyers and the U.S. percentage of minority partners. Minorities are defined as those who are Asian-American, Black, Latino or Hispanic, Native American and multiracial.
The top 10 firms on the 2021 Diversity Scorecard are:
- Berry Appleman & Leiden
- Cole Scott & Kissane
- Fragomen
- Kelley Kronenberg
- Kubicki Draper
- Wood Smith Henning & Berman
- White & Case
- Kobre & Kim
- Irell & Manella
- Morrison & Foerster
