Larger law firms are seeing some progress in hiring minority and female lawyers, as per the recent rankings by the American Lawyer. The 2024 Diversity Scorecard revealed that there has been a slight increase in the representation of minority lawyers in these firms. In 2023, minority lawyers accounted for 22.4% of the workforce, up from 21.6% in 2022. Additionally, the percentage of minority partners also saw a rise from 13% in 2022 to 13.6% in 2023.
Moreover, there has been an increase in the presence of minorities in leadership positions within these law firms. In 2023, minority lawyers comprised 14.3% of office managing partners, compared to 10.4% in 2022. They also made up 16.3% of executive committees, up from 14.8% in the previous year, and 11.7% of practice group chairs, up from 10% in 2022.
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy secured the top spot in the American Lawyer’s diversity ranking, followed by firms like White & Case, Berry Appleman & Leiden, and Morrison & Foerster. These rankings were based on the overall percentage of minority lawyers, minority partners, and minorities in leadership roles.
In terms of female representation, women accounted for 40.2% of attorneys in 2023, with significant representation in various roles within the firms. However, there still seems to be a disparity when it comes to women reaching partnership positions. The top firms for female representation included names like Berry Appleman & Leiden, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, and Littler Mendelson.
When it comes to LGBTQ+ representation, Selendy Gay took the top spot in a ranking of 223 firms, followed by Jenner & Block and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. These rankings highlight the efforts of law firms in promoting diversity and inclusivity within their organizations.
Overall, the rankings shed light on the progress made by larger law firms in terms of diversity and inclusion. While there have been improvements in the representation of minority, female, and LGBTQ+ lawyers, there is still work to be done to ensure equal opportunities for all within the legal profession.