National Jurist - January 2008 - (Page 12) THEFIRMREPORT Minority women still underrepresented in firms Minority women constitute just 1.65 percent of partners in the nation’s major law firms. This group is thus particularly underrepresented in the partnership ranks, even more so than minority men, who account for just 3.74 percent of partners. These are the most startling findings of NALP’s recent analyses of the 200708 NALP Directory of Legal Employers (NDLE), the annual compendium of legal employer data published by NALP. The representation of minority women partners is only slightly higher, 2.06 percent, at the largest firms of more than 700 lawyers. The newest NDLE also reveals that representation of minority women among partners varies considerably by geographic location, with firms in Miami reporting the highest level of representation, at 5.99 percent. This contrasts sharply with more than 15 cities where minority women make up fewer than 1 percent of partners. During the 15 years that NALP has been compiling this information, law firms have made steady, albeit slow progress in increasing the presence of women and minorities among their lawyers and summer associates. In 2007, minorities accounted for 5.40 percent of partners in the nation’s major firms, and women accounted for 18.34 percent of the partners in these firms. The total change since 1993, the first year NALP had comparable information, has been only marginal. At that time, minorities accounted for 2.55 percent of partners and women accounted for 12.27 percent of partners. “These findings are frustrating, but not surprising,” said James Leipold, NALP executive director. “We know that the rate of change has been very slow, despite many significant diversity initiatives throughout the industry. I think most lawyers at law firms wish these numbers looked better than they do.” Analyses for the 47 cities with the most attorneys represented in the directory reveal considerable variations. Among the largest of these cities, Los Angeles and San Francisco show the highest representation of women, minorities, and minority women among both partners and associates. —Michelle Weyenberg Women & minorites at law firms Partners Size of firm Total % women % minority % minority women Total 50 or fewer 51-100 101250 251500 501700 701 + 61,297 2,501 5,501 15,754 13,719 7,159 16,663 18.34% 17.11% 18.43% 18.10% 18.49% 19.19% 18.23% 5.40% 4.48% 5.13% 4.16% 4.95% 5.96% 6.92% 1.65% 1.48% 1.87% 1.28% 1.43% 1.84% 2.06% Associates Size of firm Total % women % minority % minority women Legal opportunities abroad FROM Argentina EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS with programs Australia Belgium Bulgaria China Columbia offered in countries all over the world by the Center for International Legal Studies Croatia Czech Republic Ecuador Egypt and Suffolk University Law School. England Estonia France Germany • Summer Internships for Greece Hungary India Ireland Italy law students for credit Japan Jordan Kenya Kuwait Malaysia • Post-graduate Externships Total 50 or fewer 51-100 101250 251500 501700 701 + 60,715 1,810 3,716 10,780 12,275 9,009 23,125 45.06% 42.71% 41.47% 44.39% 44.86% 45.35% 46.14% 18.07% 13.81% 13.67% 14.72% 15.62% 19.94% 21.25% 10.07% 7.85% 7.515 8.02% 8.56% 11.03% 12.04% Lawyers Size of firm Total % women % minority % minority women And lots of countries in between. Mexico Norway Paraguay Poland Romania Russia Singapore South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Switzerland Taiwan Thailand The Bahamas The Netherlands The Philippines Turkey United States Vietnam West Indies TO Zambia • Certificate Program in International Legal Practice For more information, please contact Bridgett Halay at 617.305.6299 or at bhalay@suffolk.edu 120 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02108-4977 www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/abroad.cfm 12 THE NATIONAL JURIST January 2008 Total 135,170 31.98% 50 or 4,704 27.81% fewer 51-100 10,089 27.41% 10129,412 29.03% 250 25129,287 31.52% 500 50118,109 34.38% 700 700 + 43,569 34.80% Information provided by NALP 11.43% 8.25% 8.38% 8.12% 9.81% 13.72% 14.85% 5.70% 4.04% 3.98% 3.81% 4.75% 7% 7.66% http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/abroad.cfm http://www.law.suffolk.edu/academic/abroad.cfm
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