Recruiting Diverse Talent

Sometimes firms will focus on top-line diversity: how many diverse attorneys were promoted last year, how many among the partner ranks overall, how many partners in leadership, etc. This isn't necessarily the most effective way to build a reputation for diversity, or indeed a diverse firm.

Firms that focus on pipelines of young attorneys, as early as 1Ls, can not only better play the long-game but make a compelling argument that they take diversity seriously. Early career investment shows that you care about diversity even when there may not be immediate payoffs for your reputation. And this investment is particularly important to demonstrate for those firms who may have lagged behind the movement towards more diverse ranks.

This isn't to suggest diverse partner ranks and practice leadership are unimportant. However, the whole-of-firm approach completes the picture and sends the message to lateral candidates that your firm is serious.