Minorities continue to increase their representation in law school leading to increases in diversity numbers for both law firms and companies upon graduation. Yet the increases have been slow and incremental, and the demographics at the highest level of partners or of general counsel continues to lack the diversity seen at the new attorney level. For instance, according to the National Association for Law Placement, Inc. “2019 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms,” “women and people of color leave the lawyer ranks at law firms at a higher rate than white men, and women of color remain the most underrepresented of all, with Asian women making up just 1.46% of law firm partners, Latinx women making up just 0.80% of law firm partners, and Black or African-American women making up just 0.75% of law firm partners.”

This program aims to help diverse attorneys bridge that gap. Participants will hear from a number of in-house counsel who will discuss their experience overcoming some of the barriers they faced and how they rose to their current positions. Each panelist will share their list of Best Practices on how minority attorneys can achieve success from the outset and to avoid some of the common pitfalls regularly experienced by those in such positions.

Later in 2021, we will have a panel called Overcoming Barriers Part Two where minority partners and solo practitioners discuss their paths to the top, followed later by Overcoming Barriers Part Three where minority attorneys in the public sector will share their secrets to success.