"If firms build an inclusive environment ..., the
'diversity problem' will take care of itself -- [diverse attorneys] will come
... and will flourish." Miguel Rivera, Wal-Mart Associate General Counsel
Wal-Mart is one of the most active proponents of the Call to Action,
an initiative signed by over 100 corporations that pledges to give more legal
business to law firms that are diverse. Calling on law firms to build
inclusive environments, Wal-Mart "realigned" $60 million of
its legal work in 2005 to firms that are diverse.
But
how do firms and other legal organizations
build inclusive
environments?
Colorado Campaign for Inclusive
Excellence is creating a comprehensive program that will educate the legal
community about how to create inclusive organizations where all attorneys, including those who are
diverse, feel valued and choose to stay. Modeled on The Denver
Foundation's already successful "Inclusiveness at Work" program (www.denverfoundation.org), CCIE
will provide materials to guide legal organizations through the process
of creating inclusive cultures. Additionally, the 2008
Miguel
Rivera, Wal-Mart Associate General Counsel, to speak at the 2008 Rocky Mountain
Legal Diversity Summit
The 2008 Rocky Mountain Legal Diversity Summit will be held on Wednesday, March 19, 2008, from
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the University of
Denver Sturm College of Law. Founded by Colorado Campaign for Inclusive Excellence
and Patton Boggs LLP, the
conference will focus on the concept of inclusiveness in the legal
profession.
Conference
Highlights:
Miguel Rivera, Associate General
Counsel at Wal-Mart, will speak about the Call to
Action at the Luncheon Plenary Session.
Verna Myers, a
national consultant and expert on legal inclusiveness, will teach
participants how to create an inclusive organization.
Philip Harris, an African-American
partner at Jenner & Block in
Dr. Jesús Treviño, Associate Provost at
the University of Denver, Center for Multicultural Excellence, will
conduct an interactive session to educate participants about hidden issues
that act as barriers to progress in diversity and inclusiveness.
Participants will gain an understanding of how to create an inclusive
legal organization. Davis Graham &
Stubbs LLP, Holland & Hart LLP,
Arnold & Porter, and Baker &
Hostetler are
also top sponsors of this event. For more information on sponsorship
opportunities, please click here. Register at www.blacktie-colorado.com after
January 15, 2008.
Research Study Demonstrates Existence of Bias
in Large Law Firm
Hiring Process
Dr. Arin Reeves, a featured speaker at the 2007 Rocky Mountain Legal
Diversity Summit, conducted confidential interviews with 114 partners
representing 83 large law firms throughout the
Diversity
Survey Report Available
A comprehensive report of the 2007 Legal Diversity Survey of Denver
area attorneys is available online here.
Legal Diversity in the News
The Pipeline Working Group of the
Deans’ Diversity Council, in conjunction with the Learning
for Life Program, hosted a dozen diverse high school students at Court Day at the
The American Bar Association's TIPS
Diversity in the Profession Committee December 2007 newsletter features an
interview with Miguel Rivera, Associate General Counsel at Wal-Mart, and
other articles on legal diversity issues -- http://www.abanet.org/tips/wami/ABA_Diversity_December%202007.pdf.
Facts
& Figures: According to 2000 U.S.
Census statistics, minorities accounted for 9.7% of all attorneys nationally.
Here in
The National Association for Law Placement gathers
statistics each year on the employment of attorneys in law firms. The
latest figures from NALP are as follows: Among law firm employers listed in the 2006-2007 NALP Directory of Legal Employers,
5.01% of partners reported for 2006 were minorities, and 16.72% of associates
were minorities. Also, because of expanded demographic data collection in the
2006-2007 Directory, we know that just 1.48% of partners were minority women
and just 9.16% of associates were minority women. A full report and a table
of demographics is available at http://www.nalp.org/content/index.php?pid=484.