Byte of Prevention Blog

by Jay Reeves |

Associate Diversity Is Improving, Partners Not So Much


Associate diversity has made significant gains in recent years, but partner diversity continues to lag.

That’s according to the annual Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms from the NALP Directory of Legal Employers.

“Overall gains continued to be made in the representation of women, people of color, and LGBTQ individuals in the associate and summer associate ranks at major U.S. law firms in 2022 as compared to 2021,” according to the report. “Of particular note, the percentage of Black associates grew by nearly 0.6 percentage points to 5.77 percent, and the percentage of Black summer associates increased by 0.7 percentage points to 11.85 percent. While improvements were also made at the partnership level in 2022, progress continues to lag far behind that of associates and summer associates, with people of color and women comprising just 11.40 percent and 26.65 percent of all partners, respectively, in 2022.”

Read the 2022-23 Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms.

Go to the NALP website.

Read an article on the report in the ABA Journal.

Everyone makes mistakes. When it happens to you, Lawyers Mutual has your back. For nearly half a century, Lawyers Mutual has been the smart choice for professional liability coverage for North Carolina attorneys. We cover the state from Murphy to Manteo. We insure large firms, solo practitioners and everyone in between. We help new lawyers enter the profession with confidence, and we help keep seasoned veterans safe and successful. The numbers speak for themselves. Lawyers Mutual has been in business since 1977, making us the only insurance carrier to provide continuous protection over that period. Today we insure more than 8000 lawyers in North Carolina. Most of them will stick with us until they retire. Why? Because they know we are here for them today and will be here tomorrow, bringing protection and peace of mind in turbulent times. Visit our website, give us a call, or ask a colleague why Lawyers Mutual is the smart choice for liability coverage.

 

2022-23 Report on Diversity at U.S. Law Firms

Here are some highlights from the report:

  • Black associates increased by nearly 0.6 percentage points to 5.77 of all associates in 2022.
  • Summer associates of color jumped 1.7 percent, increasing from 41.34 percent in 2021 to 43.03 percent in 2022. Multiracial summer associates jumped 0.7 points.
  • Women summer associates remained relatively constant at 55 percent – the fifth consecutive year more than half of all associates were women.
  • People of color constituted only 11.4 percent of all partners (equity and non-equity); women comprised only 26.7 percent.
  • Partnership diversity has grown by less than 16 percent over the past 30 years, according to NALP data. Only 4 percent of all partners are women of color, and Black and Latinx women were less than 1 percent of all partners.
  • The percentage of Black partners rose only 0.1 percent, from 2.22 percent in 2021 to 2.32 percent in 2022.
  • San Diego and Miami had the largest share of partners of color (33 percent and 29 percent respectively).
  • White men constituted around 75 percent of all equity partners.

 

SOURCES: Diversity increases among associates, but ‘we are nowhere near’ expected progress at partner level, NALP president says (abajournal.com)

NALPPressReleaseDiversityReportJanuary2023.pdf

NALP - The National Association for Law Placement

NALP - National Association for Law Placement | NALP Report on Diversity

 

Why choose Lawyers Mutual for your financial protection? One reason is experience. Lawyers Mutual has been in business since 1977 and insures more than 8000 lawyers in North Carolina. We’ve been providing continuous protection from professional liability to NC lawyers longer than any other insurance company. Another reason is stability. The company’s financial strength is absolute. Since 1999, Lawyers Mutual has paid dividends fourteen times, with more than $8 million dollars returned to policyholders since 2011. Want even more reasons? Visit our website, give us a call, or ask a colleague why Lawyers Mutual is the smart choice for liability coverage.

 

About the Author

Jay Reeves

Jay Reeves practiced law in North Carolina and South Carolina. He was Legal Editor at Lawyers Weekly and Risk Manager at Lawyers Mutual. He is the author of The Most Powerful Attorney in the World, a collection of short stories from a law life well-lived, which as the seasons pass becomes less about law and liability and more about loss, love, longing, laughter and life's lasting luminescence.

Read More by Jay >

Related Posts