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Law firms' ongoing initiatives to address diversity challenges have driven another year of progress, with the representation of minority attorneys continuing to improve across the board, albeit at a slower pace than in previous years. Here's our data dive into minority representation at law firms in 2023.
Attorneys of color now represent 27.6% of nonpartners at law firms, a new high-water mark for the industry. But progress has lagged higher up. Here's a more detailed look at the representation of minority attorneys at the associate and partner levels.
Data from Law360 Pulse's law firm survey reveals that while firms are continuing to diversify their attorney ranks, progress has slowed. Just 15.6% of firms top the benchmarks for the 2024 Diversity Snapshot ranking — a lower percentage than last year. Here’s the latest look at how diversity in law firms' headcounts compares with what it could be based on the potential marketplace of new hires.
Law360’s law firm survey shows that firms' efforts to diversify their equity partner ranks are lagging. But some have embraced a broader talent pool at the equity partner level. Here are the ones that stood out.
A New York federal jury found U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez guilty on Tuesday of taking gold bars, cash and a Mercedes-Benz as bribes from three businessmen, handing a victory to the government on its second try to convict the embattled New Jersey Democrat on corruption charges and prompting calls for his resignation.
Have initiatives and programs to address work-life balance reached the equity partnership, or is it still the exception in the legal industry?
The Manhattan federal jury weighing bribery charges against Sen. Robert Menendez and two businessmen sent two notes Monday indicating confusion as to fundamental issues.
The owner of luxury fashion brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga has promoted its U.S. general counsel, who previously was a longtime attorney for Tiffany & Co., to president of its Americas division, the French-based Kering said Monday.
McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP and its former business development director, who is accused of stealing millions from the firm partially via fraudulent credit card use, are at odds over whether the firm's ex-employee should be allowed to bring a malicious prosecution counterclaim in New Jersey state court.
Leap Legal Software Inc. was hit with a discrimination lawsuit in New Jersey state court Friday from a former employee alleging she was fired due to her undiagnosed and untreated Lyme disease.
Many lawyers of color say they are included in their law firm's client pitches but are not assigned to the resulting work, pointing to some firms' "window dressing" approach to diversity and inclusion, according to a report reviewed by Law360 Pulse that will be released publicly on Tuesday.
U.S. law firms have been working to reduce the amount of office space allocated per attorney. Despite these efforts, a recent report by the real estate services company Savills Inc. found that the average square footage per attorney still remains higher than the occupancy ratios most firms aim for.
A former Nurick Law Group LLC client said the court shouldn't reverse its decision to keep his malpractice suit against the firm in the Garden State after the discovery of a crucial document, arguing the firm's founder testified the document is not a valid agreement.
A former assistant general counsel at Morgan Lewis is the new dean of undergraduate students at Princeton University, where she previously held several administrative positions for about a decade, the New Jersey Ivy League school said Monday.
Merger talks between Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP and Locke Lord LLP are progressing, with the deal on track for a late summer partner vote and a hoped-for year-end closure, according to sources close to the deal who spoke to Law360 Pulse on the condition of anonymity.
Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2024, our list of 158 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.
A Manhattan jury began deliberating Friday over bribery and other charges against Sen. Robert Menendez and two New Jersey businessmen after hearing hours of instructions in the 18-count case and eating their final lunch with five alternates.
McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter's former chief financial officer, who has admitted to skimming off $1.5 million from his firm, has filed for bankruptcy in New Jersey as he faces both a civil suit and criminal charges over the embezzlement.
After a slower first quarter, lateral recruitment at law firms appeared to find more solid footing in the second quarter, with both associate and counsel hires showing signs of recovery from the previous quarter, according to recent data provided by legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.
Parsons Behle's work on a Salt Lake City renewable energy project and Schwabe Williamson's challenge to a federal mining permit lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from June 22 to July 12.
The executive director of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation has died in a car crash in Mercer County, officials announced.
The legal industry had another action-packed week as attorneys took on new roles and law firms reshaped practices following the holiday. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
A New Jersey federal judge threw out a fraud and malpractice suit brought against Fox Rothschild by two men who said the firm was "knowingly and willfully robbing their immigration clients" and warned their attorney over prior comments he made to Law360 regarding the case.
John Ursin, Schenck Price Smith & King LLP's new managing partner, joined Law360 Pulse for a conversation about his plans for guiding the firm to smart growth and preserving its legacy-minded culture.
Funding for legal technology companies totaled $2.422 billion in the first half of 2024, nearly matching the $2.443 billion in capital raised during the same period in 2023, a positive sign for the sector after years of declining investments.
Imposter syndrome is rampant in the legal profession, especially among lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds, leading to missed opportunities and mental health issues — but firms can provide support in numerous ways, and attorneys can use therapeutic strategies to quiet their inner critic, says Helen Pamely at Rosling King.
In 2022, partners considering lateral moves have new priorities, and firms that hope to recruit top talent will need to communicate their strategy for growth, engage on hot issues like origination credit and diversity initiatives, and tailor their integration plans toward expanding partners’ client base, says Gloria Sandrino at Lateral Link.
Lawyers are experiencing burnout on a massive, unprecedented scale due to the pandemic, but law firms and institutional players can and should make a difference by focusing on small, practical solutions that protect their attorneys’ most precious personal resource and professional commodity — time, says Chad Sarchio, president of the District of Columbia Bar.
Technological shifts during the pandemic and beyond should force firms to rethink how legal secretaries can not only better support timekeepers but also participate in elevating client service, bifurcating the role into an administrative support position and a more elevated practice support role, says Lauren Chung at HBR Consulting.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Ace My Upcoming Annual Review?Jennifer Rakstad at White & Case highlights how associates can emphasize achievements and seek support before, during and after their annual review, despite the pandemic’s negative effects on face time with colleagues and business development opportunities.
In order to be perceived as prestigious by clients and potential recruits, law firms should take their branding efforts beyond designing visual identities and address six key imperatives to differentiate themselves — from identifying intangible core strengths to delivering on promises at every interaction, says Howard Breindel at DeSantis Breindel.
Law firms looking to streamline matter management should consider tools that offer both employees and clients real-time access to documents, action items, task assignee information and more, overcoming many of the limitations of project communications via email, says Stephen Weyer at Stites & Harbison.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Successfully Switch Practices?Associates who pivot into new practice areas may find that along with the excitement of a fresh start comes some apprehension, but certain proactive steps can help tame anxiety and ensure attorneys successfully adapt to unfamiliar subjects, novel internal processes and different client deliverables, say Susan Berson and Hassan Shaikh at Mintz.
Amid demands from clients and prospective hires for greater sustainability efforts, law firms should think beyond reusable mugs and create programs that incorporate clear leadership structures, emission tracking and reduction goals, and frameworks for reporting results, says Gayatri Joshi at the Law Firm Sustainability Network.
Associates may hesitate to take on the added commitment of pro bono matters, but such work has tangible skill-building benefits, so firms should consider compensation and leadership strategies to encourage participation, says Rasmeet Chahil at Lowenstein Sandler.
The pandemic has likely exacerbated the prevalence of problem drinking in the legal profession, making it critical for lawyers and educators to address alcohol abuse and the associated stigma through issue-specific education, supportive assistance and alcohol-free professional events, says Erica Grigg at the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program.
Opinion
Lawyers Have Duty To Push For Immigration Court ReformAttorneys must use their collective voice to urge federal lawmakers to create an Article I immigration court outside executive branch control, helping address the conflicts of interest, political influence and lack of adjudication consistency that prevent migrants from achieving true justice, say Elia Diaz-Yaeger and Carlos Bollar at the Hispanic National Bar Association.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work?First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.
Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.
As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.