ANALYSIS: Partner Diversity Lags Despite Law Firms’ DEI Efforts

The efforts by law firms to grow a more racially and ethnically diverse workforce are not yet leading to greater diversity at the partner level—even among firms that are earning accolades for their DEI practices.

Fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion is about recruiting and retaining top employees, encouraging innovation, and winning the war for talent. DEI efforts have increased in recent years throughout industries nationwide, including law firms of all sizes. Accordingly, the nation’s top 100 law firms have increasingly prioritized racially and ethnically diverse hires in recent years.

However, the vertical pipeline for racially and ethnically diverse talent obtaining ...