Currently, lawyers in the United States are not nearly representative of the broader group of people in America, a limitation on the effectiveness of our profession. Discrimination and implicit bias prevent our profession from representing the broader population.
Gender Diversity Example
Approximately 50.8% of people in America are female (U.S. Census data), and approximately 50% of law school graduates are women (NALP Diversity Infographic: Women, 2015-2016), while approximately:
- 35% of attorneys are women (ABA 2017 National Lawyer Population Survey),
- 70% of partners are women (NALP 2017 Report on Diversity In U.S. Law Firms), and
- 19% of equity partners are women (2017 National Association of Women Lawyers Survey on Promotion and Retention of Women in Law Firms).
Depending on the item measured, these numbers are slowly increasing, or not consistently increasing.
Broader Diversity Examples
Approximately 13.3% of people in America are Black or African American alone (U.S. Census data), while
- approximately: 4.28% of associates and 1.83% of partners are Black or African American (NALP 2017 Report on Diversity In U.S. Law Firms).
- Approximately 17.8% of people in America are Hispanic or Latino (U.S. Census data), while approximately: 4.57% of associates and 2.4% of partners are Hispanic.