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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.
Kirkland & Ellis LLP has strengthened its corporate practice in Houston with a partner who came aboard following an in-house role at private equity firm Stonepeak.
Have initiatives and programs to address work-life balance reached the equity partnership, or is it still the exception in the legal industry?
A Dallas County jury will hear a dispute between an apartment complex and a resident who alleges she was injured after a 2015 carbon monoxide leak, despite the late disclosure of evidence, justification for which the Texas Supreme Court said was "hard to imagine."
Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced Monday that it has brought on a five-member team of labor and employment lawyers who previously practiced with Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP.
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.
Winstead PC has added an experienced attorney from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP to its corporate, securities and mergers and acquisitions group in Charlotte, North Carolina.
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.
Fisher Phillips announced Monday that it has tapped a litigator with particular expertise in the sports industry to take the helm of its recently relocated Dallas shop.
Law360 is pleased to announce the Rising Stars of 2024, our list of 158 attorneys under 40 whose legal accomplishments belie their age.
Ramey LLP, counsel for mobile payment company AuthWallet LLC, has urged a Texas federal judge to reject a bank's attempt to sanction the company's attorney, saying the request is premature since the case doesn't have a prevailing party yet.
A federal judge in Houston has said a lawyer behind over 700 patent lawsuits over the past three years is personally liable to pay Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP's fees over his "sloppy" and "offensive" case against Volkswagen.
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 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.
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has hired an experienced mergers and acquisitions and securities lawyer who previously worked for numerous firms, including Rimon Law, Winstead PC, Baker Botts LLP and Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP.
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.
Robert Dinerstein, chair of the American Bar Association's Commission on Disability Rights, joined Law360 Pulse for an in-depth conversation about the organization's #BeCounted campaign
Most district attorneys and the prosecutors in their offices take great pride in their work, but nearly 60% have recently considered leaving for better paying and less stressful jobs elsewhere, according to a new survey by the National District Attorneys Association that calls for "systemic changes" to stave off a potential exodus.
The arrival of artificial intelligence in the legal profession means new use cases and obligations, but a few lawyers are still trying to trust this new technology, a panel of experts said Thursday.
Foley & Lardner LLP announced Thursday that it has boosted its corporate and healthcare offerings with three partners and three associates from K&L Gates LLP who will practice from the firm's existing locations in Dallas and Miami and a new shop in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Turn Deferral To My Advantage?Diana Leiden at Winston & Strawn discusses how first-year associates whose law firm start dates have been deferred can use the downtime to hone their skills, help their communities, and focus on returning to BigLaw with valuable contacts and out-of-the-box insights.
Female attorneys and others who pause their careers for a few years will find that gaps in work history are increasingly acceptable among legal employers, meaning with some networking, retraining and a few other strategies, lawyers can successfully reenter the workforce, says Jill Backer at Ave Maria School of Law.
ChatGPT and other generative artificial intelligence tools pose significant risks to the integrity of legal work, but the key for law firms is not to ban these tools, but to implement them responsibly and with appropriate safeguards, say Natalie Pierce and Stephanie Goutos at Gunderson Dettmer.
Opinion
We Must Continue DEI Efforts Despite High Court HeadwindsThough the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down affirmative action in higher education, law firms and their clients must keep up the legal industry’s recent momentum advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in the profession in order to help achieve a just and prosperous society for all, says Angela Winfield at the Law School Admission Council.
Law firms that fail to consider their attorneys' online habits away from work are not using their best efforts to protect client information and are simplifying the job of plaintiffs attorneys in the case of a breach, say Mark Hurley and Carmine Cicalese at Digital Privacy and Protection.
Though effective writing is foundational to law, no state requires attorneys to take continuing legal education in this skill — something that must change if today's attorneys are to have the communication abilities they need to fulfill their professional and ethical duties to their clients, colleagues and courts, says Diana Simon at the University of Arizona.
In the most stressful times for attorneys, when several transactions for different partners and clients peak at the same time and the phone won’t stop buzzing, incremental lifestyle changes can truly make a difference, says Lindsey Hughes at Haynes Boone.
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can I Support Gen Z Attorneys?Meredith Beuchaw at Lowenstein Sandler discusses how senior attorneys can assist the newest generation of attorneys by championing their pursuit of a healthy work-life balance and providing the hands-on mentorship opportunities they missed out on during the pandemic.
A recent data leak at Proskauer via a cloud data storage platform demonstrates key reasons why law firms must pay attention to data safeguarding, including the increasing frequency of cloud-based data breaches and the consequences of breaking client confidentiality, says Robert Kraczek at One Identity.
There are a few communication tips that law students in summer associate programs should consider to put themselves in the best possible position to receive an offer, and firms can also take steps to support those to whom they are unable to make an offer, says Amy Mattock at Georgetown University Law Center.
Many attorneys are going to use artificial intelligence tools whether law firms like it or not, so firms should educate them on AI's benefits, limits and practical uses, such as drafting legal documents, to remain competitive in a rapidly evolving legal market, say Thomas Schultz and Eden Bernstein at Kellogg Hansen.
Opinion
Attorneys Should Have An Ethical Duty To Advance DEINational and state bar associations are encouraging attorneys to apply diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the legal profession and beyond, and these associations should take it one step further by formally recognizing ethical duties for attorneys to promote DEI, which could better the legal profession and society, says Elena Mitchell at Moore & Van Allen.
Dealing with the pressures associated with law school can prove difficult for many future lawyers, but there are steps students can take to manage stress — and schools can help too, say Ryan Zajic and Dr. Janani Krishnaswami at UWorld.
Amid ongoing disagreements on whether states should mandate implicit bias training as part of attorneys' continuing legal education requirements, Stephanie Wilson at Reed Smith looks at how unconscious attitudes or stereotypes adversely affect legal practice, and whether mandatory training programs can help.
To become more effective advocates, lawyers need to rethink the ridiculous, convoluted language they use in correspondence and write letters in a clear, concise and direct manner, says legal writing instructor Stuart Teicher.