170 Top In-House Lawyers Warn They Will Direct Their Dollars to Law Firms Promoting Diversity
General counsels and chief legal officers at more than 170 companies have signed an open letter telling law firms they expect their lawyers to “reflect the diversity of the legal community and the companies and the customers we serve,” reports the ABA Journal.
“The letter was drafted after an online photo of 12 new partners at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison drew attention because it appeared to show 11 white men and just one woman,” writes the Journal‘s Debra Cassens Weiss. “The firm later said the partnership class also includes one Latino and one LGBTQ partner.”
A New York Times article on the subject said that more than 20 women and people of color described obstacles to achieving diversity at Paul, Weiss, with many saying that opportunities to be groomed for partner are harder to come by for women and minorities.
