18. RESEARCH INITIATIVE LOOKS AT THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN LAWYERS OF COLOR
Startling research in the late 1990s by the National Association for Law Placement Foundation suggested that virtually all women lawyers of color working in private practice left their positions at major law firms within eight years. A more recent study found that from 1998 to 2003 nearly two-thirds left their firms within 55 months of being hired.
While there has been research conducted on issues related to women and to people of color in the legal profession, until this year there had been no comprehensive study specifically focused on women lawyers of color. The ABA Commission on Women determined that there was a need for a comprehensive analysis on the unique concerns and experiences of Hispanic, African-American, Native American and Asian American women in the legal profession and, three years ago, embarked on development of a research study exploring the unique experiences of these women and beginning a dialogue on how the legal profession can facilitate the full and robust participation of this group of talented lawyers. The research was finalized this year.
Despite the efforts of law firms to expand diversity efforts, women lawyers of color in law firms nationwide reported a lack of networking and access to significant billable hours, being skipped over for client development opportunities and desirable assignments, and being subjected to demeaning comments or harassment and unfair performance evaluations. For example, 44 percent of women lawyers of color working in a large law firm reported that they had been passed over for desirable assignments, compared to 39 percent of white women, 25 percent of men of color and only 2 percent of white men. Similarly, 62 percent of women of color disclosed that they had been excluded from formal and informal networking opportunities, compared to 60 percent of white women, 31 percent of men of color and 4 percent of white men, and 31 percent of women of color reported receiving at least one unfair performance evaluation, compared to 25 percent of white women, 21 percent of men of color and less than 1 percent of white men.
The commission’s report makes recommendations to law firms seeking to fully integrate women of color into their diversity efforts. Suggestions include addressing the success of women of color as a law firm goal, not a diversity issue, and to integrate them into the firm’s professional and social fabric. "Visible Invisibility: Women of Color in Law Firms" can be ordered through the ABA Web Store.
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