tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35297610.post5872252695893516373..comments2009-07-07T11:44:30.298-05:00Margaret Grisdelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794722616440670274noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35297610.post-75665814575065481802009-07-07T11:44:30.298-05:002009-07-07T11:44:30.298-05:00I've been a minority attorney for 15 years and have seen similar initiatives come and go. In general, it doesn't seem like such programs work as neither the number of minority partners at large lawfirms nor the number of minority owned lawfirms have increased in any significant way. What has seen dramatic increase is the size of large lawfirms in general and the profits per partner being reported by majority lawyers at such firms. The case for "economic" benefits of diversity just simply isn't there. Law is basically a relationship business and big law comes down to the attorney's/law firm's ability to establish strong ties to those in power, ie. general counsel at large corporations, owners of large/successful private businesses, government leaders, etc.. Minorities simply don't have the backgrounds, connections and influence to establish such relations or command large buckets of law business. On the other hand, programs designed to increase diversity in the profession keep stressing the need for "qualified" minorities as if there is some relationship between qualifications and success in the profession. I have come across all kinds of lawyers that have achieved all level of success regardless of their qualifications. In my humble opinion, there is no direct correlation. Unfortunately, the number 1 indicator of your potential for success as a lawyer (or at least for becoming a partner at a major US firm) remains the color of your skin. No objective observer of the state of the profession could argue otherwise. There are many who agree that past racial discrimination was a significant barrier to entry to the profession. Many of these same people, however, also urge that racial discrimination is no longer a factor and that the lack of diversity is much more complex. To those I would ask a simple question: if racial discrimination is no longer the major obstacle to succeeding as a lawyer, when did it cease to be so? What event, what place, what time or what can you point to as the pivotal occurrence that signifies the end of racial preference in the legal industry?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com