Diversity is Crucial to the Legal Profession

Having racial diversity in the legal profession is extremely important to the profession and society as a whole. Given that only attorneys can practice law, it is very important that attorneys reflect and understand the diverse members of our society. All groups of society must be able to present their grievances to the government and in a court of law. Although persons do not have to have an attorney of their own racial groups in order to have their legal interests protected, many individuals only feel comfortable with an attorney who shares their racial and ethnic background. In other words, an attorney who may look like them, sound like them, and who may have shared their life experiences. Moreover, such an attorney may better understand his or her client and therefore, be better able to represent the client.

In addition, the legal system must be perceived as fair and protective of all members of our society. When someone is exposed to the legal system, it is important that they see other individuals, including judges and attorneys, who are like them. Without attorneys in all racial and ethnic groups, many individuals will feel that they are unrepresented in our legal system and will not see it as a meaningful tool for resolving grievances and protecting their rights. Without a perception of fairness to match an actual fairness in the legal system, individuals will turn away from presenting their grievances in the courtroom and will instead turn to the streets.

The Current State of Diversity in the Profession

Although great strides have been made, individuals of color continue to be under-represented in the legal profession. The causes for this under-representation are many, but include: fewer financial and educational opportunities, fewer opportunities to be favorably exposed to the legal profession, and fewer role models who have attended college or become attorneys. In addition these individuals may not have access to counselors with a full understanding of the requirements of law school and the requirements of the legal profession.

In the fall of 2005, 95,800 individuals applied to an ABA Approved Law School. Of that number, 31,230 (32%) of the applicants identified themselves as belonging to one or more racial minority groups. Of all law school applicants, 56,100 of the applicants were admitted to an ABA Approved Law School, including 15,370 (27%) applicants identifying themselves as belonging to one or more racial minority groups. The racial breakdown of those admitted to ABA Approved Law Schools in the fall of 2005 was:

410 - American Indian/Alaskan Native
4,720 - Asian/Pacific Islander
3,660 - Black/African American
40,020 - Caucasian/White
720 - Chicano/Mexican American
2,400 - Hispanic/Latino
860 - Puerto Rican
2,600 - Other
740 - No Ethnic ID(i)

In the profession as a whole, a disparity continues to exist between the number of attorneys of color and the number of individuals of color in society. In 2000, attorneys of color made up less than 15% of the profession while individuals of color made up approximately 30% of the U.S. population.(ii)

Law schools and employers desire minority candidates and lawyers. Because of the historical disparity and because of a desire to have diverse student bodies, law schools actively recruit students of color, whether by including race as a factor of consideration in the application process or by looking to other factors, such as personal history and economic and educational backgrounds.

Recognizing the importance of diversity in corporate life, many companies require the law firms that they use to report the number of attorneys of color working on the client's files and the number of partners in the law firm that are attorneys of color. Not only are companies requiring their law firms to report these numbers, some are also grading their outside counsel and refusing to send any new work to those with failing grades. These corporate initiatives are helping to provide more opportunities in private practice to attorneys of color.

Finally, the importance of diversity to the profession and the welcoming of attorneys of color to the profession are evidenced by the numerous programs implemented by national, state and local bar associations, as well as individual attorneys and judges, to encourage individuals of color to choose law as a profession and to assist them in becoming attorneys. This is also reflected in the recent increase in the number of individuals of color who have served as officers of local, state and national bar associations, including two recent African-American presidents of the American Bar Association: Robert Grey - 2004-05 and Dennis Archer - 2003-04.

The Profession Needs You

The only way to increase diversity in the profession is for more individuals of color to become attorneys. Although the process can be difficult and you may face more obstacles along the way than most, you can become an attorney and help ensure that the legal profession and our country's legal system are reflective of our diverse society. The rewards of being an attorney can be great and there are individuals and groups ready to help you on your journey of becoming an attorney. There is a place for you in the legal profession and those that have come before you look forward to welcoming you to this honorable and crucial profession. So, CHOOSE LAW!

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(i)Law Sch. Admission Council, LSAC Volume Summary by Ethnic and Gender Group, available at www.lsacnet.org
(ii)United States Census Bureau, Census 2000, available at www.census.gov/main/www.cen2000.html.