Year in and year out, we watch law firm after law firm pay lip service to their commitment to diversity in the legal profession, with promises to recruit, retain, and promote more minority attorneys. If there’s ever going to be any real change in the legal industry, diversity has to be more than just a buzzword — it must be a priority at every law firm. And last year, it was. There is once again some news when it comes to law firm diversity, which is exciting.
According to the American Lawyer’s 2024 Diversity Scorecard — a ranking that tracks racial and ethnic diversity across firm leadership, equity partners, and other attorneys at Am Law 200 firms and beyond — there was “slow but steady” progress over the past year. This is refreshing to see after 2021’s record-breaking progress, which saw the biggest year-over-year improvement since 2001. Let’s take a look at 2023’s numbers:
After several years of above-average growth in the number of lawyers from underrepresented groups in Big Law, 2023 saw more subdued progress, although diversity gains were consistent from associates to partners and office leaders, according to the American Lawyer’s 2024 Diversity Scorecard.
Among a cohort of 208 law firms—most of them ranked in the Am Law 200—minority attorneys comprised 22.4% of lawyers in 2023, reflecting a slight increase from 21.6% in 2022. Minority partners now comprise 13.6% of all partners, up from 13%. For non-partners, minority representation is up to 29.1% from 28.1%.
Less than 1% growth overall is indeed small, but it’s still something worth cheering for — especially during a time when anti-DEI activists are filing suit across the country.
Which law firms are the best for diversity in 2024? Here’s the Top 25:
- Fragomen
- White & Case
- Berry Appleman
- Hanson Bridgett
- Morrison & Foerster
- Kasowitz
- Carlton Fields
- Willkie Farr
- WilmerHale
- Finnegan Henderson
- Cox Castle & Nicholson
- Akin
- Atkinson Andelson
- Jackson Lewis
- Buchalter
- Squire Patton Boggs
- Skadden
- Cleary Gottlieb
- Manning Gross + Massenburg
- Hogan Lovells
- Reed Smith
- Norton Rose Fulbright
- Bilzin Sumberg
- Perkins Coie
- Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer
Congratulations to all of the Biglaw firms that are doing their part to move the needle on diversity. For all other firms, the pressure is on to do better.
The 2024 Diversity Scorecard: Minority Representation [American Lawyer]
Slow But Steady: Law Firm Diversity Gains Continued in 2023 [American Lawyer]
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on X/Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.