Employment Patterns — 20-Year Trends — 1982 - 2002, NALP Bulletin, August 2003
How does the career counselor advise graduating students and alumni seeking information on working for a small minority-owned practice, or those interested in setting up their own practice?
A report on the pilot year of the NALP/Street Law Diversity Pipeline Program
As part of NALP's commitment to diversity, each year the Board of Directors schedules diversity training during one of its quarterly meetings. This year's session focused on disability rights and the legal profession.
Finding ways to promote, supervise, manage, and support the learning and development of lawyers worldwide presents enormously complex challenges for the professional development directors of global law firms.
The relative isolation of women in the upper echelons of male-dominated organizations can lead to intra-gender and inter-generational conflict that may limit the success of women. This article outlines common threats and suggests ways to address these threats.
The 2013 Lavender Law Conference and Career Fair provided a reminder of the contributions NALP and the LSAC have made to the inclusion of LGBT lawyers in the profession.
How can law firm leaders ensure that their behaviors match their intentions, and what can women and diverse lawyers do to find sponsors?
Practical Suggestions for Improving Diversity in Tough Economic Times
An overall decline in minority representation occurred primarily among Black associates, and to a lesser extent among Hispanic associates.
The ABA has developed two programs designed to help increase the opportunities for diverse law students to land judicial clerkships.
“They like our idea!” exclaimed a young man whose team of “attorneys” had their patent and trademark accepted by a panel of judges. This joyful expression is one of the many I hear throughout the year. This is what I love about my job. What makes this scenario unique is that I am not looking at law firm veterans. I am observing high school classmates role-playing attorneys as part of a legal simulation. Through the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, I train and support volunteer legal professionals so they can get young people of color excited about our profession and inspire these young people to be their best. By collaboratin...
As legal career professionals, we have a special obligation to make our workplaces safe places for everyone, and as NALP members collectively we have the skills and training to do that.
NALP Director of Research Danielle A. Taylor provides analysis on employment outcomes by race/ethnicity for Class of 2019 law school graduates from the recent Jobs & JDs publication.
NALP Executive Director James Leipold shines a spotlight on the gaps that exist for people of color at the partnership and associate levels of law firms, arguing that closing the gaps can lead to true progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
NALP Director of Research Danielle Taylor highlights changes in the racial and ethnic representation of summer associates since the Great Recession from NALP’s 2021 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms.
Jenner & Block’s Courtney Carter, 2022-23 NALP Vice President of DEI, explains what diversity professionals do and how you can best work with them in honor of Global Diversity Awareness Month during October.
Diversity Lab employees give an overview of their Mansfield Rule program.
How can career services offices support students in evaluating law firm diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging programs?
I recently was a part of a discussion on the future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Two lawyers that joined the discussion, proffered the current mantra that, “any program that considers race or ethnicity as a factor is inherently racist, thus the approach should be one of color blindness.” Here is a look at that argument.
NALP Diversity Best Practices Guide, 2019, a compilation of best diversity and inclusion practices derived from industry research and interviews of law firm and law school professionals
NALP Research, Law Firm Diversity Wobbles: Minority Numbers Bounce Back While Women Associates Extend Two-Year Decline, 2011
NALP Research, Perspectives on Diversity (2014)
Research: LGBT Representation Among Lawyers in 2016, NALP Bulletin, January 2017
NALP Research: Representation of Women and Minorities Among Equity Partners Has Increased Only Slightly, 2017
NALP Research: Race/Ethnicity & Gender
NALP: Tips on collecting demographic information for the NALP Directory of Legal Employers
NALP Research: A Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks 1992-2007, June 2008
Accounts of lawyers with disabilities and suggested resources.
An ABA/LSAC conference calling for collaboration between the legal profession and educators from kindergarten through law school has sparked new interest in attacking the barriers to racial and ethnic diversity in the legal profession.
A relatively new management level position is taking shape in a growing number of law firms across the country. What remains unknown at this point in time is the impact that new diversity professionals will have on improving the diversity landscape.
diversity; women; minorities; minority women
diversity, retention, women
A perspective on what accommodations for disabilities are really about.
A look at the impact of recent Michigan affirmative action and race-conscious admissions court cases.
When minority students miss the opportunity to clerk, they are at a disadvantage that may impact the future composition of the power structures in the legal profession and in our nation. This article suggests ways that career services professionals can help to address the racial disparity in federal clerkships.
Here are some lessons learned about the ways the effectiveness of a legal diversity pipeline program can be measured.
NALP's Diversity Best Practices Guide has now been updated to address best practices as they relate to lawyers with disabilities and to religious differences.
Tips for maximizing a law firm's visibility with diverse law students -- and these law firm marketing suggestions cost little to implement.
The overall percentage of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) lawyers reported in the 2018 NALP Directory of Legal Employers (NDLE) increased to 2.86%, compared with 2.64% in the 2017 NDLE. Increases were seen across all lawyer types and ranged from less than a 0.1 percentage point gain for counsel and non-traditional track attorneys to about a 0.35 percentage point gain for associates. The percentage of offices reporting LGBT counts has been relatively stable at about 90% of offices since 2008. About half of these reporting offices reported at least one LGBT lawyer among partners and associates in 2018.
New figures from NALP show that in 2015, only 17.4% of equity partners were women and only 5.6% were racial/ethnic minorities.
Each generation will approach a mentoring relationship with different goals and measures of success; it is important to think about these differences when pairing or advising individuals in a mentoring program.
Leaders from the Center for Women in Law and the NALP Foundation share results of a joint study on opportunities for women of color in the legal profession.
This three-part NALP Bulletin series addresses the personal and systemic steps involved with dismantling racism and white supremacy to attain a legal profession that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Judith Collins recaps the effects of NALP’s research on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the legal profession as part of the association’s 50th Anniversary in 2021.
Suited Co-Founder and CEO Matthew Spencer explains how law firms can use artificial intelligence to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in recruiting and hiring.
President Elect, Alison Ashe-Card, reminds us that Thanksgiving is a season, not just a holiday, and a time “to cherish moments spent with loved ones, appreciate the blessings we have, and share our abundance with those in need.”
NALP President Alison Ashe-Card asks, "How do you respond when your existence, your background, your voice, and your lived experience are viewed as liabilities rather than assets?" She continues, "As I look ahead, I do so with guarded optimism. When we insist on building spaces where all of us can thrive. That hope — rooted in community, resilience, and purpose — is what carries me forward."
NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives Sam Halpert examines the lasting impacts of EO 13590, the Executive Order issued by former President Donald Trump and revoked by President Biden in January 2021.
SMU’s Mary Beth Nielsen and Borden Ladner Gervias LLP’s Angela Sordi identity 10 tips that can help your law firms improve the recruiting process for neurodivergent law students and attorneys.
Research Director Danielle A. Taylor summaries key trends on race and ethnicity from Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Law Graduates, Class of 2021.
NALP’s Neurodiversity in the Legal Profession Task Force hosted internationally recognized disability activist and writer Emily Ladau, in a March 2023 webinar for a conversation about her life and her book Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally. Here are some of our takeaways from the conversation with Emily for thinking, talking, and asking about disability.
NALP Research, A Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks — Patterns of Disproportionality, 2010
NALP Research, A Closer Look at NALP Findings on Women and Minorities in Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity, 2011
NALP Research, Women and Minorities in Law Firms - By Race and Ethnicity, 2012
NALP Research, Women and Minorities at Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity - An Update, 2014
NALP Research, Women and Minorities at Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity - An Update (2015)
Resources for LGBTQ+ information
NALP’s 2023 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms shows that overall, women and people of color continued to make incremental improvements in their representation at major U.S. law firms as compared with 2022.
This article examines five years of trend data to understand how employment outcomes vary by both level of parental education and race/ethnicity. First-generation college students consistently find employment at lower rates compared to their continuing-generation college and JD peers.
There are certain things in life you have to learn the hard way. . . .
The Wingspread Consortium is committed to doing something about the diversity pipeline.
This unique diversity initiative may offer ideas for other legal communities.
The purpose of this series of articles is to provide tools and encouragement to each of us as we promote diversity and cultural competence in our law schools and workplaces.
In addition to breaking attendance records, Lavender Law moved to an earlier date this year to better coincide with other fall recruiting.
More and more law firms are hosting receptions and events for first-year law students. Here are some tips for ensuring attendance at your events.
It's time to tell the truth about some commonly repeated myths concerning women in public interest law....
Here are some ways even a small CSO can build diversity initiatives into ongoing work.
This is the third in a series of articles reporting the highlights of a Roundtable of 19 industry leaders in June.
New findings from NALP research analyses are a stark reminder that more work urgently needs to be done.
Diversity initiatives in these five key areas can make a real difference.
The overall percentage of openly LGBT lawyers reported in the NALP Directory of Legal Employers in 2013 increased to 2.19% compared with 2.07% in 2012.
The corporate world is acknowledged to be ahead of law firms when it comes to diversity. Here are a few lessons law firms might learn from corporate legal departments.
Ida Abbott asserts that the persistent problem of gender imbalance in the legal profession needs to be reframed and seen for what it is: not a women's issue but a strategic talent issue that is critical for a firm's future success.
Is hiring for "cultural fit and chemistry" causing employers to create homogeneous teams with diminishing diversity?
With a limited pool of candidates, firms continue to explore ways to recruit diverse students and get on their radars earlier in the process — including through hosting diversity conferences, mock interview programs, and other events during the 1L year. Because firms often meet with diverse students through these avenues, it becomes easier to “justify” precruiting — why wait to interview at OCI when we have already established a relationship? While firms are attempting to meet intense client and market demands in this uncharted recruiting era, diverse and first generation students are grappling with their own competing interests — focusing on...
One law school's experience with a poverty simulation experience demonstrated that compassion and empathy can be learned.
Create an inclusive environment for Indigenous students by learning the history, making territorial acknowledgements, taking the time to learn, showing up and listening, and identifying available resources.
Information on employment trends from the Class of 2016, in particular demographic profiles of judicial clerkships.
Within the large group that makes up millennial lawyers — lawyers born between the years 1980-2000 — there are unique nuances we should be aware of to help us in our efforts to recruit and retain diverse millennial lawyers.
One of the most important steps in building a legal career is passing the bar exam. Increased focus on outcomes, along with the ABA’s increased focus on calculating bar success among first time takers, comes at a time of decreasing bar passage rates. While more students today are looking at JD Advantage careers, bar passage still matters, given that a significant majority of all JD graduates land in positions that require bar passage. Law schools are increasingly taking an active role in bar preparation. Three types of programs are becoming common.
What Works for Women at Work not only offers powerful advice to women but also confirms that gender bias experiences do indeed differ by race.
Transgender veterans need allies within NALP now more than ever to show their support.
NALP President Beth Moeller of UCLA School of Law explains how to provide greater transparency when uncertainty reigns.
NALP President-Elect Traci Mundy Jenkins explains the numerous opportunities to develop your leadership skills through volunteering.
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr LLP’s Meredith Kahan and Dr. Scott Kahan advocate for increased focus on weight bias in hiring, recruiting, interviewing, and training at legal organizations.
Nikki Harris of the William S. Boyd School of Law, University of Nevada – Las Vegas explores best practices for advising law students about nontraditional appearance in a conservative legal field.
Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law’s Ray English outlines five steps for being anti-racist.
Additional background information about NALP’s new Executive Director, Nikia Gray, who joined the NALP staff from Quarles & Brady’s Washington, DC office.
Howard University School of Law’s Lauren R. Jackson explains how counting pro bono hours as part of law firm practice could help even the playing field in the effort to increase DEI within the legal profession.
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law's Jazzma Pryor outlines the roadblocks for students of color who pursue a judicial clerkship opportunity.
NALP Research, LGBT Representation Up in 2012, January 2013
NALP Research: Women and Minorities at Law Firms — What Has Changed and What Has Not in the Past 25 Years (2018)
NALP Research, Racial/Ethnic Representation of Class of 2019 Judicial Clerks, February 2021
New NALP Research on LGBTQ Lawyers By Gender in U.S. Law Firms, November 2023
NALP President Alison Ashe-Card writes, "For me, Minneapolis represents more than a demographic mosaic. It exists in the shadow—and the light—of two profound legacies: the death of George Floyd and the life of Prince. One sparked a global reckoning; the other composed a soundtrack of resistance, joy, and creative defiance. Both reshaped how I understood justice not just as a legal framework, but as a lived, embodied experience."
November is Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor Native American and Indigenous peoples, to reflect on the histories that shaped the land beneath us, and to recognize the continuing contribution and resilience of Native American and Indigenous nations.
Demographic Profile of Judicial Clerks, NALP Bulletin, July 2003
While acknowledging that much progress has been made, the BASF report suggests that much work remains to ensure inclusive workplaces for LGBT employees.
The Minnesota State Bar Association conducted a research study to look at the circumstances faced by various groups within the legal community.
The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued of a new fact sheet promoting and describing ways in which legal employers may apply the reasonable accommodations obligation described by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
In some cases it may be best for job applicants to emphasize, rather than hide, their disability-based strengths during a job interview.
Attorneys of color accounted for 4.63% of partners and 15.62% of associates. The comparable figures for women were 17.29% and 44.12% respectively.
The NALP Directory of Legal Employers offers employers an opportunity to list the number of openly GLBT lawyers within their organization. This article examines why listing these demographics is important and how employers can collect this information.
It has become especially important to consider how diversity impacts the law school setting and what law schools can do to help prepare law students for participation in an increasingly diverse working world.
A case simulation approach to diversity training.
Currently only six of the MCLE states require diversity or "elimination of bias" credits.
Lavender Law Despite Economic Climate
Aggregate statistics about the representation of women and minority lawyers at law firms are widely cited, but these national averages don't tell the whole story.
Diversity efforts increase the representation of underrepresented groups, while inclusion efforts increase the ability of everyone in the workplace to be heard.
Over time, women and minorities have been less likely to take jobs in law firms and more likely to take jobs with government and public interest employers.
The 2011 Diversity Summit, sponsored by NALP and ALFDP, will feature the acclaimed Microinequities workshop presented by Stephen Young as well as three other speakers prominent in the field of diversity in the legal profession.
Until we address the gap between the messages we send and the messages received, our diversity and inclusion initiatives are not likely to have the desired effects.
About 60% of the openly LGBT lawyers reported in the current NALP Directory of Legal Employers are accounted for by just four cities: New York City, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
Are affinity groups still relevant now that the importance of diversity is recognized by most employers? The answer is a resounding yes for both the law school and the legal employer setting.
The June Diversity and Inclusion Summit will kick off with a focal session on the meaning and application of the concept of inclusion in a global context.
NALP welcomes a new Legal Diversity Pipeline Program Fellow and the newest law firm participants in the NALP/Street Law Program.
Learn how diversity fellowships are serving as an intersection between employer outreach and diversity for one law school.
This new book by Joan Williams and Rachel Dempsey has a great deal to offer not only to individual women but also to those who are striving for more inclusive workplaces.
These suggestions can help both employers and candidates mitigate the impact of unconscious bias on recruiting.
The more you try to avoid diversity fatigue, the more likely you will experience the fatigue in a debilitating way.
Here are some ways that career counselors can help to open doors for law students with disabilities.
Lane Powell’s Melissa Berry examines benevolent stereotyping in the legal profession.
Elon Law’s Jennifer Gibert Mencarini shares lessons learned from recent cultural competence training sessions.
Southwestern Law School’s Jody Stein outlines steps for how legal career advisors should respond, in both words and actions, when a law student reports experiencing discrimination at a non-profit organization.
NALP Director of Research Danielle Taylor outlines key findings on law firm partner data for women and people of color from the 2020 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms, which is available at www.nalp.org/reportondiversity.
Methods for maximizing the effectiveness of your diversity committee to ensure opportunities for women and people of color.
Tips for maximizing the value of your affinity group, including getting buy-in, establishing an annual meeting, securing a budget, collaborating, setting goals and aligning your law firm’s core values to foster inclusion and diversity.
The dearth of minority judicial law clerks is admittedly a complex issue, but there are ways for law school career services professionals to make a difference.
"As I looked around, I mentally sorted the multiple identities that accompany me wherever I go — female, lawyer, person of color, etc."
The first step in "de-biasing" ourselves and the places where we work is becoming aware of our implicit biases. Here are some additional suggestions for admissions and career advising processes.
NALP President Traci Mundy Jenkins of Venable LLP highlights the accomplishments of the association’s work groups and task forces while encouraging NALP members to be open and accepting toward efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.
New NALP President Karl Riehl of Epstein Becker Green lays out goals for the association during the 2022-2023 cycle, a year filled with action as the association moves forward with ongoing priorities and searches for a new Executive Director.
University of Chicago Law School’s Amy Nixon summarizes recent research and trends to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion among law school candidates interested in judicial clerkships.
Joanna Craig and Nirvana Dove explain that students and lawyers who are neurodivergent have often been overtly, or inadvertently, excluded from recruiting and DEI efforts, and offer steps to continue making progress at your firm or school.
NALP Executive Director Nikia Gray writes that current strategies for retaining diverse talent are fundamentally flawed and we must have the courage to engage in a radical reexamination of our approach to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
NALP Research, Changes in the Racial/Ethnic Representation of Summer Associates Since the Great Recession, May 2022
The number of GLBT lawyers reported in the NALP Directory of Legal Employers -- and also the number of disabled lawyers reported -- remains small.
Among law firm employers listed in the 2007-2008 NALP Directory of Legal Employers, 5.40% of partners were minorities, but only 1.65% of partners were minority women.
We are reminded that we cannot take for granted strides made to provide law school applicants equal access to education and opportunities to attain professional success...
Review of Counselors: Conversations with 18 Courageous Women Who Have Change the World
This article takes a closer look at minority representation in the ranks of partners and associates, providing information on Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African-American, and Hispanic lawyers.
Historically, women and minorities are less likely to take jobs in law firms, but when they do, they are more likely to obtain those jobs in large firms. But the fuller picture is more complex.
Learn how one member took on a diversity role at her law school and what she learned along the way.
When counseling students with disabilities, it is important to tailor guidance based on a student's individual needs and interests.
Career counselors can do their own homework on employers to support LGBT students in finding internships and jobs that are right for them.
At its last meeting, the NALP Board learned a lot about tribal sovereignty, federal government Indian policy, and challenges faced by Native American law students and lawyers.
Lawyer volunteers also experience the impact of the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program.
This article makes the case that associate competency frameworks have the potential of being the single biggest breakthrough in the history of law firm diversity.
Much of the generational tension in the workplace might be resolved by simply reconciling the generationally divergent understandings of what merits respect.
Are equity partners in multi-tier law firms disproportionately white men? The answer is decidely yes, and new NALP data help to describe the unequal representation of men and women and minority and non-minority law firm partners in these firms with greater precision.
These five diversity champions represent a cross-section of our legal landscape.
Among all employers listed in the 2012-2013 NALP Directory of Legal Employers, just 6.71% of partners were minorities and 2.16% of partners were minority women, but that's not the whole story.
When coaching results in courageous conversations beginning to flow, this expanded space can help a lawyer take his or her business, relationships, creativity, and vision to a new level.
While the representation of minorities as a whole among associates increased in 2011 after sliding in 2010, a closer look reveals that the bounce-back can be attributed to an increase in Asian associates — and representation of women among associates declined a bit again for the second year in a row.
The best support we can offer internationally trained law students and lawyers begins with looking at our own actions, assumptions, and policies.
Speakers at the 2019 Professional Development Institute (PDI) will focus on culture, diversity and inclusion.
A synopsis of the data on transgender law graduates contained within NALP’s Employment Report and Salary Survey (ERSS) as part of the Jobs & JDs publication.
These steps can help when mentoring diverse attorneys.
the next time the question of "fit" arises in a hiring discussion, ask the speaker to unpack that statement because social class bias may be afoot.
Whether in a law school or employer environment, we can all make a difference in recognizing and interrupting unconscious bias and microaggressions.
As a leader, how can you interrupt minimization in the workplace, and the exclusionary world it creates? By leveraging authenticity in how you live, lead, and work. Ritu Bhasin is the president of bhasin consulting, inc., a leading diversity and inclusion-focused consulting firm.
The NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program teaches high school students about the law and legal careers, while offering law firms an opportunity to participate in a diversity pipeline program.
Over the past 20+ years, law school graduates have become an increasingly diverse group, yet NALP employment data for graduates over this period shows that in some job categories women and minorities continue to be under-represented, while for other type of jobs women and minorities are over-represented.
While the sample size is not large enough to be representative of all law firms, there is a lot to be learned from the responses we received.
Four strategies for challenging unconscious bias at law firms: be the first out of the gate, drop hints, verbalize the unconscious, and counteract it, and get allies to help communicate the unconscious.
NALP’s Executive Director Nikia Gray examines the potential fallout from the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions decision on the racial and ethnic diversity of our profession.
The Guidance for Working with Trans Students created by NALP’s Gender Non-Binary Workgroup, contains a list of helpful terms to review, a list of informative FAQs and a comprehensive list of valuable resources to provide on-going support for this community.
Executive Director Nikia Gray writes about the power of diversity. She says "NALP is your professional organization. Collectively, NALP members represent an incredible pool of experts with a multitude of experiences. This is the time to tap into that." She adds, "Together we represent the true power of a diverse community that is grounded in facts and fairness."
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School’s Maureen Reilly explains the importance of neurodiversity for all lawyers as part of a book review of Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals by Haley Moss.
Director of Research Danielle A. Taylor analyses data on graduates self-reporting disabilities from NALP’s Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Graduates, Class of 2021.
Wake Forest University School of Law’s Alison Ashe-Card, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Molly Stafford, and Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law’s Nicole Netkin-Collins close out the final installment of their six-part series on dismantling racism in the legal profession with more questions than answers.
Professor Thiadora Pina from Santa Clara University School of Law discusses what it means for lawyers to be, or to become, culturally competent in the U.S.
Director of Research Danielle Taylor examines data on LGBTQ lawyers.
NALP's Neurodiversity in the Legal Profession Task Force reviews their work so far and encourages members to keep talking and learning about neurodiversity.
NALP Research, Increasing Diversity of Law School Graduates Not Reflected Among Judicial Clerks, 2014
NALP Research: Women and Minorities at Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity - New Findings for 2016, February 2017
NALP Resources for Native and Indigenous Students
The challenges we face today are real, but they do not define us. What defines us is our choice to lead with courage, compassion, and conviction.
This Glossary is meant as a guide to assist non-Native American and non-Indigenous folks in understanding important terminology and other important issues and challenges faced by Native American and Indigenous Peoples.
NALP Webinar - Building Belonging: Religious Inclusion in Law Firms and Law Schools
Judicial Clerks Remain Less Diverse than Law Graduates Overall, NALP Research, October 2022. judicial clerks, judicial clerkships, diversity
NALP Webinar: Bookmarked: Narratives of Disability and Neurodiversity
Review of Building on the Promis of Diversity: How We Can Move to the Next Level in the Workplace, Our Communities and Our Society by R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.
There comes a point at which disability is not a medical condition, it's a lifestyle.... When we talk about disability, we're talking about a culture, and we don't always think in those terms.
One of the take-away lessons from this year's Diversity Summit was that in order to ensure the successful implementation of diversity initiatives, it is essential to build in elements of accountability.
Active participation in bar committees and community activities integrates law students into the legal community.
Whether your CSO is large enough to have a dedicated diversity professional or has one or two staff members who must assume all CSO roles, there are ways you can reach out to diverse students.
The overall percentage of openly LGBT lawyers reported in the NALP Directory of Legal Employers in 2014 increased to 2.30% compared with 2.19% in 2013, although there are wide geographic disparities in the numbers reported.
Following up on a press release issued by NALP in February, this article takes a closer look at the representation of women and minorities among the ranks of partners and associates nation-wide and by geographic market and firm size.
Without the involvement of the white men who are an organization's key decision makers, diversity and inclusion efforts will have only limited success.
These five diversity champions inspire and invigorate others!
As multiracial families become more common, the depth of an individual's diversity is often not explicitly visible, and it becomes even more important that we look for opportunities to increase the intercultural competency within our organizations.
NALP Director of Research Danielle Taylor shares results from a third round of “pulse” surveys on racial justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at U.S. law schools and law firms.
The decision in the landmark case of Bostock v. Clayton County, consolidated with Zarda and Harris Funeral Homes, extends protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to LGBTQ employees and job applicants in the United States and U.S. territories. Law schools and legal employers must update their non-discrimination policies or equal employment opportunity statements to include “sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.” They should also actively promote this extension of Title VII protections throughout their organizations.
An up-close look at conversations between cross-racial friends in 2020 who have worked together in the legal profession.
José Bahamonde-González and Melanie Rowen interview four lawyers about professional attire for non-binary legal professionals.
The spring and summer 2020 news prominently featured the killing of Black people, highlighted issues of systemic racism, and protests around those killings and issues. A law school career services professional discusses the personal and professional impact.
Sandra Day O’Conner College of Law, Arizona State University’s Alfred Ray English provides two keys for creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.
University of Oregon School of Law’s Rebecca Ivanoff describes her perspective on NALP’s next 20 years as a relative newcomer to the legal profession, as part of NALP’s 50th Anniversary celebrations in 2021.
Chapman Cutler’s Shannon Burke and Jessica Hoffer offer tips for increasing cross-departmental collaboration and communication among the recruiting and DEI functions at legal employers.
As has been the case since 2011, there is a definite skew among women and minority lawyers who are partners toward non-equity status.
One firm reflects on its experience as a participant in the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program.
NALP’s reporting on the presence of women and minorities in large firms now spans 25 years. Findings have been reported out year by year over that time period, but summary findings are presented here all together for the first time at www.nalp.org/0218research. Here are a few highlights.
The snowball effect of unconscious bias and microaggressions can gravely impact students inside and outside of the classroom.
Interested in hearing about Generation Z’s impact on the workforce? Keep an eye on this Bulletin column series and submit your questions and comments directly to the author.
Women, minorities, LGBTQ+, and disabled employees should be significantly represented in senior organizational roles — one sign of a commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Using inclusive language creates inclusive communities. Borden Ladner Gervais LLP’s Hayley Niven explains why legal alumni programs should start using the word “alum” in place of the traditional alumnus/alumna.
Angela Sordi interviews Simon Margolis, a Disputes Associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP in Toronto, Canada, about the challenges that lawyers and law students with neurodiverse conditions face in the legal profession.
Wake Forest University School of Law’s Alison Ashe-Card, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Molly Stafford, and University of Colorado Law School’s Nicole Netkin-Collins examine the role of well-being in dismantling racism in the legal profession.
2022-2023 Vice President of Member Services and Education Gwendolyn L. Ferrell explains why active participation of its members is critical to accomplishing the mission and initiatives of NALP.
Chapman and Cutler’s Shannon Burke shares some of the program highlights and what to expect at the 2022 NALP-ALI Professional Development Institute, Dec. 1-2 in Washington, DC.
Clara Solomon, currently serving on the NALP Board of Directors, and Lourdes Olvera-Marshall explain why international students belong in the DEI conversation that’s happening in the United States.
The purpose of this article is to help raise awareness about ADHD among lawyers and offer suggestions for employers to help their lawyers with ADHD thrive at work.
What Do We Know About Transgender Law Graduates?, NALP Bulletin, December 2019
NALP research on lawyers with disabilities
With an ever-changing backdrop, what are ways to ensure the continued success of judicial clerkships moving forward? In this article, we explore key concepts that can continue to support a thriving judicial clerkship program through uncertain times.
During the 2008-2009 academic year, five NALP member law firms will be paired with local high schools to teach diverse and disadvantaged students about substantive areas of the law and about the legal profession and legal career pathways.
Career services professionals both in schools and firms have a special opportunity and a duty to foster inclusion and the respect for civil and individual rights.
A perspective on what accommodations for disabilities are really about.
Diversity Summit addresses what clients want.
The ABA report, Visible Invisibility, confirms that women of color are leaving law firms in large numbers.
NALP has long been a champion of diversity in the practice of law, and yet faces criticism that its own membership lacks diversity. Any analysis of the problem required an understanding of what NALP's membership actually looks like...
Successful mentoring is only part of the equation; finding and cultivating sponsors is also critical to a lawyer's career development — and especially critical for women and diverse lawyers.
The July NALP Board meeting was not designed to be a seminar on micro- and macro-inequities, but it sort of turned out that way.
Diversity isn't just about recruiting diverse lawyers -- it's also about ensuring that they feel respected and valued within the organization. This is where inclusion comes in, but how can it be turned from an abstract concept into real-world activities and made a part of firm culture? One way is through your firm events.
women and minorities representation
First generation students have been called the "hidden minority." Here are some ways to support their success.
Indigenous people are significantly underrepresented in the legal profession. Even in 2017, they continue to face social and economic challenges in pursuing legal education. In the last 40 years, approximately 1,000 Indigenous people have graduated with a law degree in Canada. If Indigenous people were proportionately represented, there would be over 3,300 practicing lawyers today. This shortage of Indigenous lawyers suggests that there is still a long way to go before there is an equitable and diverse legal profession.
Sharon Buckingham with Villanova’s Charles Widger School of Law offers basic tips for helping students of color pursue legal career in the public interest and public service fields.
Paul Lazdowski and Claire Yan explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on alumni programs and law firms.
Fringe Professional Development’s Rachael Bosch and Janelle Christian explain the importance of being an accomplice instead of an ally or bystander in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space.
Penn State Dickinson Law’s Tom Lee and Laura Williams address the lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.
Venable’s Traci Mundy Jenkins calls on NALP’s leadership and members to take meaningful action to continue to foster diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the legal profession.
NALP President Traci Mundy Jenkins of Venable LLP explains the importance of the critical skills of listening with empathy and seeking to understand, not simply to respond.
When the Tri-State Minority Job Fair was eliminated in the Greater Cincinnati area, Keating Muething & Klekamp and the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Center for Professional Development partnered to build the nation’s first and only law student diversity case competition.
A new book by Kathleen Nalty takes theoretical best practices and provides real-life behavioral recommendations for law firm leaders and others to advance diversity and inclusiveness.
Longtime NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold has received this year’s President’s Award for his service to the association over the course of 18 years. Leipold plans to retire in October.
Matt Spencer argues that the changing legal environment demands a reimagined recruiting process that incorporates more data and leverages technology and innovative tools to ensure accurate and equitable outcomes.
NALP Research, Women and Minorities in Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity, 2010
NALP Research, The Demographics of Equity - An Update, 2013
NALP Research, LGBT Representation Up Again in 2013, January 2014
NALP Research: Race/Ethnicity and the Geographic Distribution of Law Firm Jobs Taken by New Graduates - Class of 2015, November 2016
NALP Research: New Findings on Disparities in Employment Outcomes Based on Level of Parental Education, November 2021
NALP: Non-Binary Resources
NALP President Alison Ashe-Card writes, "For decades, NALP has served as the compass for our community. It has helped legal professionals, legal employers, and law students find their bearings amid change. And it continues to do so today." She adds, "Our compass, our shared values, Our collective wisdom, and our commitment to one another, remain constant."
Reviewing resumes, cover letters, and other application documents is a key aspect of being a career counselor. This guide is meant to help provide a framework for how to conduct effective document review while still honoring your own style of feedback and communication.
Sometimes it seems that each time we start working with a new hiring partner, practice group leader, committee chair, or dean, we have to prove yet again that we're experts in our industry who bring great value to our organizations.
NALP's annual Diversity Summit has quickly emerged as one of the most important national programs on diversity in the legal profession.
President's column on diversity.
The legal profession continues to be one of the most segregated in this country. Minimal progress has been made in diversifying the workplace.
The fact that women outnumber men at least two to one in lower paid public interest law positions must spark an important discussion of how these jobs are valued.
In light of streamlined budgets at law firms and law schools, one way to maximize diversity efforts at your institution is to partner with nonprofit organizations and bar associations that offer diversity programming and services.
Over the last ten years, the overall number of judicial clerkships obtained by law school graduates has decreased significantly, and over this same time, minority representation in general has increased slightly but the representation of African-American/Black men has eroded significantly.
Those of us working on diversity programs know that buy-in from the top is imperative to our success. This is one reason the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity is intriguing to many NALP members.
Are equity partners in law firms disproportionately white men? It turns out that the answer is probably yes, and no, according to new NALP analyses.
Listening for unspoken messages is an important skill for every young lawyer, but it can be an even bigger issue for diverse associates. PD professionals and career services advisors can help new lawyers learn to listen for the silent messages.
One area that is explored less often is the gender diversity of the legal professionals who work in administrative roles, such as recruiting and career services. In contrast to the statistics for attorneys, the majority of these roles are occupied by women. I used the NALP Directory of Legal Employers and NALP Directory of Law Schools to do my own quick tally of gender diversity among recruiting contacts at the Am Law top 25 law firms and the U.S. News & World Report top 25 law schools.
In-depth look at words of diversity and inclusion, and how they impact law firms.
Check-ins, reflection exercises, mentorship, coaching, and assessments are among the tools available to help with professional identity formation.
Over the last few years, diversity and inclusion — the topic and efforts toward it — have become very visible in the legal industry. As a result, both law schools and law firms have seen the rapid establishment of affinity groups for students and lawyers. When first founded, affinity groups can be active, with robust intentions, ambitious goals, and lots of motivation. When the immediacy of that event or incident dampens and the urgency to respond is no longer there, or when the demands of school work and client matters rear their ugly heads, even the best of intentions can be put on the back burner, if not completely taken off the stove, and...
Case Western’s Michael McCarthy and UIC John Marshall Law School’s Paul Johnson explain how employers and applicants can improve the job application process for lawyers and law students with disabilities.
The final installment of a three-part series about dismantling racism in the legal profession by Alison Ashe-Card, Molly Stafford, and Nicole Netkin-Collins is part of the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Edition of the NALP Bulletin.
Wake Forest University School of Law’s Alison Ashe-Card, a member of the NALP Board of Directors, reflects on how the legal community must continue to do more to dismantle the systemic racism that plagues our criminal justice system and every facet of our lives.
Amy Kimmel, Nicholas Martinez, and James G. Leipold explain that the honorific Mx. will become familiar to you and your colleagues in time with deliberate and intentional work as the legal profession gets more and more diverse and inclusive.
With an obligation to help all students with their careers, law schools need to operate within a policy of inclusion, which requires that they not adopt a restrictive definition of diversity.
The conversation about overcoming the obstacles to diversity and inclusion in the public interest sector continued at this year's Mini-Conference.
The First-Year Diversity Recruiting Task Force created the common application to simplify the recruiting process for diversity fellowship programs for firms and for students by reducing the workload of students during a particularly stressful time of the academic year.
William & Mary Law School’s Moriah Berger Allen reviews the book by 2021 NALP Annual Education Conference speaker Haben Girma, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.
NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold reflects on reuniting with friends old and new in New Orleans at the first in-person Annual Education Conference since 2019 during April.
Fox Rothschild LLP’s Jennifer Mencarini prepares NALP members interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion programming for the 2023 Annual Education Conference in Vancouver.
Nikia L. Gray encourages legal employers to reexamine their culture with an eye to fostering inclusion across all members of the organization instead of focusing solely on lawyers.
NALP Vice-President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Courtney Carter provides tips for considering how to move forward with diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
By empowering lawyers, especially those from diverse backgrounds, with business development skills early in their careers, we can enable them to carve out a trajectory that is both personally and professionally rewarding. The future of law is undoubtedly diverse, and it is imperative that firms take action so they can continue to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
As legal recruiting professionals, there are helpful tools and resources that can help us guide first-generation students.
Research: Women and Minorities at Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity - New Findings for 2015, NALP Bulletin, January 2016
NALP Research: Women and Minorities Maintain Representation Among Equity Partners, Broad Disparities Remain, 2016
NALP Research, Representation of Women and Minority Equity Partners Among Partners Little Changed in Recent Years (2019)
NALP Research, How Is the Racial/Ethnic Representation of Summer Associates Changing? (2025)
NALP Research: Law Firm Jobs — Where They Are and Who Takes Them — Class of 2000, NALP Bulletin, July 2001
Coverage of the 2009 NALP ALFDP Diversity Summit
We know that diversity in the legal profession has increased over the past 30 years, but how significant is that increase?
"Building a winning and inclusive culture is a business imperative."
Junior associates expected supervising partners to be mentors. Many supervisors did not share that expectation...
As I watched all the NALPers who appeared to be executing things, I didn't see one member of color. These impressions translated into "barriers" in my mind. Perceived only? Maybe, but they were very real to me.
Battling the elements to get to Chicago for the Diversity Summit in March seemed somehow acceptable, or at least predictable, but battling the elements to get to Keystone, Colorado, during the last week of April for NALP's 2007 Annual Education Conference seemed somehow more cruel and unusual.
Recently the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) began to assemble a national database of examinees who are seeking admission to the bar.
Only 0.23% of the lawyers reported by private law firms in the 2009-2010 NALP Directory of Legal Employers were identified as having a disability.
The overall percentage of openly LGBT lawyers reported in the 2010 NALP Director of Legal Employers rose slightly compared to 2009, although the numbers remained relatively small.
In Cracking the Code: Unlocking the Potential of Future Leaders , author Judith Finer Freedman offers solutions to bridging generational differences in the legal workplace and argues that learning to embrace the potential of the younger generation of lawyers is key to the future success of law firms.
These best practices should take prominence in the post-recession diversity efforts of law firms and law schools.
New firms have participated this year, and continuing firms have added enhancement activities.
An analysis of NALP Directory data yields healthy doses of both optimism and realism — and some insights into the ways investments in lawyer professional development are intertwined with investments in diversity.
The Stereotype Content Model can help us understand how perceptions of a person's warmth or competence can lead to subtle biases and discrimination.
How can we best prepare diverse associates to excel in the legal environment, and what unique design features can be incorporated into professional development programming to achieve the desired outcomes of retention and promotion of diverse associates?
Law firms need to look not only at how they implement flex policies, but also at how those policies and practices are communicated.
Equity partners in multi-tier law firms continue to be disproportionately white men. New figures from NALP show that in 2017, only 18.7% of equity partners were women and only 6.1% were racial/ethnic minorities
As has been reported earlier, in the February 2018 NALP Bulletin and in NALP’s Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms in 2017, just over 8% of partners at major US law firms in 2017 were minorities and almost 23% were women. For associates the figures were just over 23% and about 45.5%, respectively. These figures have generally gone up over time.
NALP is changing the way it collects information about a variety of demographic categories, including race and ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation.
Arming career counselors with information to assist students in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
In most law firm contexts in the U.S., discussions of diversity refer to racial and ethnic populations that have traditionally been underrepresented; socioeconomic diversity meanwhile remains an important form of diversity that is too seldom addressed.
NALP Board members are engaged, enthusiastic, and up for the challenges of working hard and collaborating, even during times of crisis and the only option to connect is virtual.
Thompson Hine LLP’s Nirvana Dove explains why it is so important to attend this year’s NALP/ALFDP Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Summit, to be held virtually Oct. 7.
With help from NALP survey data and anecdotal evidence from their colleagues at law schools and law firms, Nirvana Dove, Tonya Gaskins, and Sonya Wilson provide a snapshot of some DEI initiatives that are working at law firms and law schools.
NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold reviews some of the trends that emerged in 2020 following the COVID-19 outbreak in March, including virtual work environments, struggles to fight racial inequality, and changes to OCI.
NALP Director of Public Service Initiatives Sam Halpert explores the legal responses Executive Order 13950 “on Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping” issued by President Donald Trump.
Chapman and Cutler’s Shannon Burke provides tips on supporting diversity committees and diverse partners at law firms.
Co-chairs of the NALP Task Force on Neurodiversity, Paul Johnson and Angela Sordi, update members about resources available to help understand the topic and how it impacts hiring and recruitment at legal employers.
Wake Forest University School of Law’s Alison Ashe-Card, University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Molly Stafford and University of Colorado Law School’s Nicole Netkin-Collins launch a second series of three articles about efforts to dismantle racism and white supremacy in the legal profession.
NALP’s 2021-22 PSJD Fellow Chelsea-Leigh Flucus explores wage transparency and its impact on public service attorneys as employers strive to retain their workers amid the “Great Resignation.”
Summarizing the key takeaways from the three plenary sessions at the 2022 NALP Annual Education Conference in New Orleans featuring The Yellow House author Sarah M. Broom, former NFL football player Steve Gleason, Thine CEO Sang Lee, and Diversity & Flexibility Alliance President and CEO Manar Morales.
University of California Irvine School of Law’s Chelsea-Leigh Flucus, the 2021-22 NALP PSJD Fellow, offers observations on continuing the conversation about the positives from remote and hybrid work flexibility.
Inclusion-minded professionals bear the responsibility to use words that demonstrate respect for others.
NALP Research, LGBT Representation Among Lawyers in 2014, March 2015
NALP Research: LGBT Representation Among Lawyers in 2015
NALP Research, Women and Minorities at Law Firms - Additional Findings for 2017
NALP Research, Representation of Women and People of Color in U.S. Law Firms in 2020, June 2021
NALP Executive Director Nikia Gray explains the most powerful force shaping today’s diversity, equity, and inclusion landscape is not policy or court decisions, but fear. Amid unprecedented disruption, leaders face changes that are unfamiliar and disorienting, particularly in the political and legal terrain around diversity issues, heightening anxiety that they could make costly mistakes.
NALP President Alison Ashe-Card writes about the Year of the Fire Horse that embodies boldness and resilience. This symbolism is particularly relevant as both the legal industry and the association are navigating rapid change – technological shifts, evolving expectations of leadership, evolving recruitment pathways, and ongoing conversations about inclusion and belonging.
The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Section is for NALP members with a particular interest in or responsibility for advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion in legal education and legal employment.
Race/Ethnicity and the Geographic Distribution of Law Firm Jobs Taken by New Graduates - Class of 2008, NALP Bulletin, October 2009
Two Perspectives on Military Veterans, NALP Bulletin, February 2020
In order to learn more about NALP members wo serve their legal workplaces as managers of diversity, the NALP Diversity Manager Outreach Work Group conducted a brief survey.
Data from the first wave of the After the JD Study suggest that there is no single minority experience that distinguishes between lawyers of color and their white peers. Rather, each group presents a unique profile.
Internship opportunities can be an excellent way to find and grow promising new talent, and they are also an excellent way to increase the level of diversity in your own office.
Will the American legal education pipeline be able to meet the legal needs of an increasingly diverse society? What concerns should legal employers and law schools have about the legal education pipeline?
In response to the pipeline crisis, law firms all over the country are devising a broad array of innovative programs designed to attack the pressing issue from practically every conceivable angle.
350 attended the recent NALP Diversity Summit.
Diversity in numbers alone is not the answer — although it is a start. There must be a comprehensive integration of diversity into the workplace's strategic plan.
The Public Service Section's Diversity in Public Service Employment Work Group has been reaching out to law schools to learn about their diversity initiatives.
Among law school graduates taking jobs in private practice, minorities are more likely than their non-minority peers to take jobs in one of the 20 largest employment markets for new graduates.
Name mispronunciation is an area that we have not focused on in our inclusion and business development efforts to date in the legal profession.
Several factors, including a decrease in law school applications over the last several years, complicate the ability to recruit and retain African-American attorneys.
When it comes to the representation and success of Black women lawyers at major U.S. law firms, the battle is being lost, as NALP's Executive Director explains.
The overall representation of minorities among judicial clerks has increased only marginally since the mid-1990s and has essentially flat-lined over the past ten years.
New figures from NALP show that in 2014 only 17.1% of equity partners reported in the NALP Directory of Legal Employers were women and only 5.6% were racial/ethnic minorities.
Over time, women and minorities have been less likely to take jobs in law firms, and more likely to take jobs with government and public interest employers.
How can you build metrics to ensure success and obtain buy-in from your leadership? The authors provide a start-to-finish primer on the building and analysis of metrics for diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The new Vault/MCCA database has become an important resource for supporting diversity in the legal profession.
In the wake of recent events, I remain convinced that now more than ever we need more diversity education and training in our firms, schools, law departments, government agencies, and public service organizations. In this Trump era, the temptation is to shy away from talking about differences such as politics, race, and religion — and to try to ignore the political, social, and cultural climates outside of our institutions. But our partners, associates, staff, students, professors, and administrators are social beings. They don’t check their backgrounds, assumptions, and experiences at the door when they come to work. Professional courtesy wi...
Conversations about privilege are often difficult because admitting that privilege exists reveals an element of favoritism or elitism about society and ourselves that makes us uncomfortable. A person with privilege has the additional privilege of not having to think about their own privilege. It is a bit like asking a fish to notice water. This article outlines some common examples of privilege and suggestions on what can be done to interrupt institutional and individual privilege.
One of the most important aspects of leaning into diversity and inclusion as a non-diverse member of your community can be shouldering more of the burden of educating people from privileged groups, thereby offering those from traditionally marginalized groups a much-needed break. We do not mean “taking over” the work or overshadowing diverse colleagues by identifying yourself as the new D&I expert. Instead, we mean supporting and promoting diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as being at the forefront of helping your institution identify systemic “isms” and becoming an active voice in the work of diversity and inclusion.
Diversity fellowships are effective ways of recruiting and hiring diverse students but by themselves are an insufficient means of increasing diversity in the legal profession.
Taking a multi-pronged approach to training women legal associates can help encourage them to stay and give them the tools and resources to advance in their careers.
Quoting from Eddie S. Glaude’s Begin Again, NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold examines how the story of greater quality in the legal profession doesn’t match up with the data on employment outcomes for white people against Black people and people of color.
NALP Deputy Director Fred Thrashes highlights trends in member demographics and leadership over the past 50 years as part of NALP’s 50th Anniversary in 2021.
This second of a three-part NALP Bulletin series addresses the personal and systemic steps involved with dismantling racism and white supremacy to attain a legal profession that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive.
Schulte Roth & Zabel’s Doug Ebeling and McGeorge School of Law’s Molly Stafford describe how to navigate office dynamics while striving to create a welcoming and supportive environment for gender non-binary individuals.
University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law’s Leah Adams explores how the developments of 2020 will impact diversity fellowships this year and beyond.
These minority lawyers are using both time tested and new strategies to ensure their success.
We must break the obvious link between law school environments that lack inclusion and law firm environments that do the same.
Among law school graduates taking jobs in private practice, minorities are more likely than their non-minority peers to take jobs in one of the 21 largest law firm employment markets for new graduates. This general pattern did not hold for Black/African-American graduates, however.
NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold highlights the positives, and the work that remains, from the association’s 2021 Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms, available at www.nalp.org/reportondiversity.
Part 2 of the article series on recent legislation targeting anti-trans and non-binary individuals by authors Rafael Langer-Osuna of Squire Patton Boggs, University of California Berkely School of Law’s Melanie Rowen, and Molly Stafford of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law.
NALP President Karl Riehl of Epstein Becker Green welcomes Nikia Gray as the new Executive Director for the association and outlines some early goals.
As a law school career professional, you play an important role in supporting federal law clerks with workplace challenges. Judicial Integrity Officer Michael Henry and Yale Law School’s Elizabeth K. Peck explain what you need to know.
NALP Research on Non-Binary Law School Graduates, December 2020
NALP Webinar: Disparate Outcomes: Another Look at NALP’s Employment and Salary Data, October 20, 2021
LGBTQ Lawyers & Graduates
For professional development professionals, this isn’t a soft sentiment; it’s a strategic imperative. Creating a culture of mattering can transform a firm’s talent pipeline, improve retention, and unlock discretionary effort that money alone can’t buy.
Law Firm Jobs Taken by New Graduates - Distribution by Race/Ethnicity, NALP Bulletin, August 2004
Of law firm jobs taken by the Class of 2007, just over half (51%) where taken in the 20 cities providing the most jobs to that class.
The importance of working to improve the legal education pipeline and promote diversity in the profession.
Our survey results suggest that law office diversity programs are a recent phenomenon, and one that has been strongly influenced by client expectations.
NALP values and supports diversity in principle and practice. There shall be no barriers to full participation...on the basis of gender, age, race, color, religious creed, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.
Reimagining the discussion around diversity.
With guidance from its Judicial Clerkship Section, NALP conducted a brief online survey to learn what law schools are doing to encourage their minority students to apply for judicial clerkships.
A new book explains why diversity is so key to organizational leadership.
Here are just a few of the NALP members who have championed diversity and inclusion.
A "Level Playing Field" exercise helped members of the NALP Board relearn important lessons.
Equity partners in multi-tier law firms continue to be disproportionately white men according to the latest NALP research analyses.
This article shares some of the highlights from two of the 2014 Summit's breakout sessions: one focusing on women's initiatives and the second focusing on cultural awareness and generational differences.
A Diversity Section work group has published a new online resource profiling diverse leaders within NALP and the legal profession.
To have an inclusive environment where people of all races and ethnicities are reflected at every level of the organization, significant changes still need to be made. Diversity is being invited to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.
Topics to be addressed include promoting true inclusion, the link between diversity and leadership effectiveness, the latest Supreme Court challenge to law school admission policies that promote diversity, religious and cultural diversity, and gender identity as the next issue in the evolving frontier of diversity and inclusion.
It is vital to have a career services office diversity point-person, whether it is that person's full-time responsibility or a part-time role.
A look at race/ethnicity and geographic distribution in the 20 cities where the most jobs were obtained by Class of 2008 law graduates.
As law firms and law offices continue to cope with the effects of the downturn, here is a three-point plan for helping to keep diversity and inclusion from getting pushed off the radar screen.
Representation of LGBTQ representation among lawyers for 2019, according to NALP's Directory of Legal Employers.
The 2019 Public Service Mini-Conference featured a plenary speech by Human Rights Watch’s Nicole Austin-Hillery, a Public Service Section meeting, and presentations on a variety of topics including student debt and loan forgiveness.
"Does what happens in the corridors of law firms have anything at all to do with Ferguson, Baltimore, and Charleston? … I would respectfully suggest to you that the answer is yes, they are related."
This article looks at a unique admissions program in Canadian law schools, as well as some initiatives from career offices and law firms.
The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance's five-step process for developing and supporting a successful flexible work program addresses not only part-time options but also such options as telecommuting and flexible hours programs.
Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world in terms of the national origins of its residents, but is this diversity reflected in Canadian law firms? Yes and no, but perhaps more no than yes.
There are important differences between cover letters and the type of diversity statements needed to apply for diversity fellowships and scholarships.
Gihan Fernando and Morgan Smith look back at how NALP’s involvement with the Solomon Amendment and other efforts have helped move the legal profession forward in striving for equal treatment for LGBTQ+ lawyers and law students.
To remain engaged and hopeful when doing this critically important — yet difficult — work, it is helpful to celebrate the small victories and to identify simple, practical, and impactful measures that can help to advance diversity and inclusion. The five suggestions summarized in this article are fairly easy to implement and can help to create a culture of inclusivity and ensure that efforts are successful.
Who law students are and why they decided to enroll in law school are important for understanding how future generations will shape the legal profession. On a more concrete level, a deeper understanding of what current students are feeling, thinking, and considering – starting at the enrollment point of prelaw to practice journey – is essential for informing effective recruitment, outreach, and advising strategies for law schools and legal employers alike.
New NALP Executive Director Nikia L. Gray outlines her high-level plans to keep the association laser-focused on facts, fairness, and the power of a diverse community.
Law school career counselors should be attuned to the unique experiences of first-generation students when providing career advice. Advice that fosters security and support, allows career counselors to better communicate to first-generation students.
NALP Research, The Demographics of Equity, 2011
NALP Research, LGBT Representation Among Lawyers in 2018, February 2019
Employment data for the Class of 2019
The US Department of Justice reported in the 2008-2009 NALP Directory of Legal Employers that it employs 249 lawyers with disabilities -- more lawyers with disabilities than reported by all the private employers in the directory combined. Are recruiters
WALRAA's new Diversity Committee recently held a successful speed networking event.
In the work environment, diverse employees often face a daily pressure: how much should — or can — they divorce themselves from what makes them unique and different without "losing themselves"?
As public institutions become more constrained in their ability to ensure ongoing diversity in education, private institutions must increasingly assume this responsibility on behalf of themselves and the larger profession.
Understanding generational characteristics can provide a useful frame for some of the work we NALPers do, but I find what I call the "subgroups problem" a troubling and significant issue.
"Pipeline initiatives" have become the new buzzwords. This article offers examples of specific initiatives and of how they are addressing diversity.
Representation of Blacks/African-Americans among associates has slid for four years in a row according to the latest NALP research.
Women of color often experience a type of bias based on more than race or gender alone, and law firm leaders must, therefore, lean in with women of color if they are to advance within law firms.
Fortunately some aspects of the elusive "sparkle" sought by employers can be defined and learned.
Together, the data submitted for the NALP Directory of Legal Employers and the data submitted to NALP by law schools as part NALP's annual survey on employment outcomes provide multiple perspectives on diversity within the legal profession.
The repeal of DADT does not resolve all of the discrimination faced by LGBT persons in the military, nor does it repeal the Solomon Amendment.
There are numerous benefits to participating in a pipeline program that has already been established, such as the NALP/Street Law Legal Diversity Pipeline Program, but for some organizations piloting their own program may be the best answer.
These six points may help law firm stakeholders build on the progress they are already making toward diversity and inclusion.
Examining NALP’s impact on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at law firms and across the profession as the association nears its 50th Anniversary in 2021.
USC Law’s Malissa Barnwell-Scott explains how law firms can support first-generation students and professionals during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
NALP Vice-President for Finance Carlos Davila-Caballero calls on the association to increase the representation of people from diverse backgrounds on the NALP Board of Directors.
NALP President Beth Moeller of UCLA School of Law reflects on the importance of continuing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in 2020.
Pace University’s Elisabeth Haub School of Law’s Elyse Diamond addresses how to support the racial and social justice movement within public interest law institutions.
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law’s Shannon Bartlett shares lessons learned from an anti-racism training course.
NALP Director of Research Danielle A. Taylor examines racial/ethnic representation among judicial law clerks from the recently released Jobs & JDs: Employment and Salaries of New Graduates, Class of 2019.
Jenner & Block’s Courtney Carter, Squire Patton Boggs’ Rafael Langer-Osuna, and Nicole Netkin-Collins of the University of Colorado talk about how to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts for gender non-binary legal professionals at law firms.
NALP President Traci Mundy Jenkins explains how NALP is keeping the foot on the pedal by supporting and creating new diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and programs in the legal profession.
Squire Patton Boggs’ Rafael Langer-Osuna, University of California Berkely School of Law’s Melanie Rowen, and Molly Stafford of the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law examine what NALP members need to know about recent legislation that targets non-binary and transgender individuals.
Jenner & Block’s Courtney Carter and University of Colorado Law School’s Nicole Netkin-Collins explain the best practice of stating personal pronouns proactively, because gender identity and therefore personal pronouns cannot be assumed.
NALP research analyses take a more in-depth look at the representation of women and minorities among partners and associates.
While there is no silver bullet for retaining diverse associates, the shared interests and outcomes from partnering beyond one organization benefit individuals, law firms, and the legal industry.
Combining the efforts of a law firm's PD and D&I department can strengthen the effectiveness of both.
Here are some tips for planning diversity initiatives that don't fail before they even get started.
NALP and ALFDP are pleased to welcome Ellisen Turner as the Opening Plenary speaker at the 2018 Diversity and Inclusion Summit to be held June 8, 2018 in Washington, DC. His session, titled “March or Die: The Affirmative Action Officer’s Son”, will focus on Ellisen’s journey to management and his views on improving diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.
Equity partners in multi-tier law firms continue to be disproportionately white men. New figures from NALP show that in 2018, just one in five equity partners were women (19.6%) and only 6.6% were racial/ethnic minorities. NALP’s findings on women equity partners continue to mirror those of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL), which in its most recent report found that women comprised about 20% of equity partners in 2018, and minorities accounted for about 8%.
New NALP President Karl Riehl of Epstein Becker Green summarizes important takeaways from the first in-person Annual Education Conference (AEC) in three years that took place during April in New Orleans.
NALP Executive Director James G. Leipold underscores the importance of legal employers and law schools striving to create environments where most people can feel that they belong.
Executive Director Nikia Gray urges NALP members to recommit ourselves and stand our ground in the face of adversity.
NALP Research, Women and Minorities at Law Firms by Race and Ethnicity - An Update, 2013
The Representation of Women and Minorities Among Equity Partners Sees Slow Growth, Broad Disparities Remain, NALP Bulletin, April 2014
NALP Research, Despite Small Gains in the Representation of Women and Minorities Among Equity Partners, Broad Disparities Remain, 2015
NALP Research: LGBT Representation Among Lawyers in 2019
NALP Research, Native American and Alaska Native Law Students and Lawyers, December 2023
NALP Research, Women and People of Color in U.S. Law Firms, 2024
NALP: Inclusion Resources
NALP Report on Diversity, December 2019
