Diversity

‘On Being a Black Lawyer’ Blogger Reaches Out to Minorities

Yolanda Young, the former Covington & Burling staff attorney who chronicled her experience there in the Huffington Post piece, “Law Firm Segregation Reminiscent of Jim Crow,” offers a new forum for minority lawyers on her blog, On Being a Black Lawyer. Young, who grew up impoverished in the Deep South…

Nov 25, 2008 5:53 PM CST

In Equity Partner Ranks, Men Earn an Average of $87K More than Women

Women lawyers at large law firms earn less than their male counterparts at all levels, but the difference is especially pronounced among equity partners, according to a new survey. On average, women earn $7,000 less in annual pay than men at the associate level, $14,000 less if they are of-counsel,…

Nov 18, 2008 2:50 PM CST

Ariz. Chief Justice Accused of Banning Non-PC Words

Updated: The group Judicial Watch has accused the chief justice of Arizona’s Supreme Court of imposing an implied ban on the term “illegal alien” and 17 other words or phrases in court opinions. The conservative group says Chief Justice Ruth McGregor effectively banned the words by distributing a letter from…

Nov 12, 2008 2:32 PM CST

Hard Times Could Affect Law Firms’ Minority Recruitment Efforts

About a dozen law firm managers interviewed by Legal Times said they don’t intend to invest more money in minority recruitment next year, and they may even trim some costs from the programs. Laurie Hane, a partner in Morrison & Foerster’s San Francisco office who co-chairs the firm’s diversity committee,…

Oct 21, 2008 1:35 PM CDT

School Rank and GPA Aren’t the Best Predictors of BigLaw Success

Updated: Law school rank and grade point average aren’t the best predictors of success at large law firms, according to a study of more than 1,300 associates from one firm. Law school rank and GPA were only moderately predictive of success, the study found. In general, one of the study’s…

Oct 16, 2008 12:39 PM CDT

Only 2% of BigLaw Partners are Minority Women, Study Says

Minorities continue to be underrepresented in the partnership ranks of big law firms, with minority women faring the worst, according to a study by the National Association for Law Placement. Only 1.88 percent of partners at major law firms are minority women and only 4.21 percent are minority men, according…

Oct 15, 2008 12:48 PM CDT

Group Accuses Three Law Schools of Bias Against Whites

A group that opposes affirmative action is claiming that three law schools discriminate against whites. The law schools named are the University of Nebraska, the University of Arizona and Arizona State, TaxProf Blog reports, citing reports in the Chronicle of Higher Education. The latest report by the Center for Equal…

Oct 9, 2008 3:24 PM CDT

Happy Warriors

Diversity managers aren’t running from their huge challenges

Oct 1, 2008 5:30 PM CDT

Midlevel Minority Associates at Big Law Firms Have More Debt, Lower Bonuses

Midlevel associates at large law firms who are black and Hispanic appear to be at a financial disadvantage, according to a study by the Minority Law Journal. When compared to their white and Asian counterparts, these minority associates have more debt and lower bonuses, the Minority Law Journal reports in…

Oct 1, 2008 12:23 PM CDT

Four Law Firms on Working Mother’s List of 100 Best Companies

Working Mother Magazine has released its 2008 list of 100 best companies, and it includes four law firms. They are: Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, Katten Muchin Rosenman and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, the National Law Journal reports. The list was released one month after the magazine listed the…

Sep 25, 2008 12:54 PM CDT

‘Stealing Buddha’s Dinner’ a Must-Read at One Michigan Law Firm

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner probably isn’t a book you’d expect to see on the desks of most lawyers. But it’s a common sight at one 200-attorney Michigan law firm that has launched a “one book, one firm” reading group. Overseen by Rodney Martin, a partner at Warner Norcross & Judd who…

Sep 18, 2008 3:36 PM CDT

Big Minority-Owned Firm Acquires Another Small One

One of the largest minority-owned law firms in the country is acquiring a smaller one, in the latest step in its ongoing growth plan. Adorno & Yoss, which is headquartered in Miami, will acquire Houston-based Monty Partners before the end of the year, reports the National Law Journal, in an…

Sep 10, 2008 6:32 PM CDT

More Women Partners Break Through Glass Ceiling in UK

Despite a difficult economy, more women than ever before are becoming partners at the 100 largest firms in the United Kingdom. “There are still far fewer female lawyers than male, but ratios at U.K. firms are improving, with 19.6 percent of partners in the top 100 firms now female. This…

Sep 9, 2008 9:44 PM CDT

One of World’s Biggest Law Firms Seeks Image Upgrade

Clifford Chance is one of the world’s biggest law firms, with more than 2,800 lawyers on its attorney roster and an average profit per equity partner of nearly $2 million last year. But to truly reach its top potential in the long run, the firm says in a recent report,…

Sep 5, 2008 9:37 PM CDT

Minority-Owned Midwest Firm Opens NYC Office

A 75-attorney law firm based in Milwaukee, Wisc., has opened a New York City office that will be run by two newly acquired partners. Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan announced the establishment of its ninth office today, reports the Business Journal of Milwaukee. It will be run by Philip Berg and…

Aug 27, 2008 10:49 PM CDT