Unleashing the Power of Diversity through Vulnerability in Law

Why is diversity important in the Law?

Diversity is important in law because?it creates a better reflection of society as a whole, enabling firms and legal departments to better serve their clients.

For lawyers and their organizations, a diverse workplace also creates new opportunities and leads to better employee engagement and retention.

The legal profession has long been focused on hiring and promoting diverse talent -- yet progress has been slow. Although people of color (including those who identify as Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, or Latinx) comprise a growing number of law firm associates, they remain significantly under-represented at higher levels.

Many factors contribute to this situation, but one is indisputable: attrition rates for attorneys who are people of color have been increasing in lock-step with hiring rates.1 To truly accelerate diversity in their ranks, it’s clear that lawyers need new strategies.

When clients walk into a law firm, for example, working with individuals from similar backgrounds can put them at ease.

This familiarity creates trust because members of the firm will better understand where clients are from, what shaped them, how they prefer to be spoken to, and who they are in a way that less-diverse offices cannot.

And there are some objective numbers that underscore this benefit: From a financial perspective, firms with higher numbers of minorities in leadership positions are about?35 percent more likely to have returns higher than national medians.

By promoting diversity within an organization, particularly at the management level, leaders can change the culture within the organization and create a workplace with an emphasis on inclusion. The positive impacts for doing so on perception, retention, and the bottom line are extremely practical as well as the right thing to do.

Achieving greater diversity is an effort that must start from the top down, as a change in the culture of the organization starts the process. A top-down approach is needed because every initiative depends on this example for true success, and some of the challenges are often ingrained in an organization’s culture.

FIGHTING DIVERSITY FATIGUE

Diversity fatigue happens when significant attention is paid to the issue, but slow advancement towards goals or improper communication and execution of initiatives create disengagement.

Fatigue can fundamentally threaten progress—especially when individuals at various levels feel like they aren't making headway, with some giving up entirely.

Leaders should focus on changing the culture within their organization and make sure to highlight the wins that these efforts achieve. It’s important to recognize that the path to an inclusive industry isn't linear. There will be setbacks, but organizations can keep moving forward and see that despite varying year-to-year results, the movement is trending positively.

Firms can also begin diversity-aligned recruiting efforts, and one key element of expanding the pool of candidates is looking beyond top-tier law schools and toward graduates who performed exceptionally well at other institutions.

Finally, individual firms should play the long game when it comes to improving both their individual organization’s diversity as well as the overall industry’s representation.

While progress has been slow and there is certainly quite a bit more work to be done—progress is happening. The new focus on diverse representation in leadership positions are having a positive impact. If the legal profession maintains and builds on this momentum, true representation that reflects the clients who are served—and obtains them even better outcomes—is possible.

Trust begins with being?#vulnerable .

The question isn’t “Are you ready?”

The question is, “Have you DECIDED to be ready

To discover more about how?Carl Shawn Watkins Consulting, LLC ?can be there for you and the?#lawyers ?in your?#law ?firm.

Here’s how:

1. Clarity Session

2. Goal Casting Session

3. Implementation ~ Plan of Action

4. Unveiling the finished journey

So, book a clarity session call today here:?https://lnkd.in/gbbnUeAa