"When we look at other professions, we continue to be woefully behind," said Sandra Yamate, CEO of IILP to the National Jurist. "When we consider the role lawyers are supposed to be playing in society, the fact that [the industry] can't seem to get over this hurdle is real troublesome."
Why should it surmount that hurdle? There are four good reasons why diversity is a good idea. Democratically, having a diverse set of lawyers and judges entrusts the population to the legal field, government and rule of law. Secondly, businesses are working on a more global scope, so a diversified work base would expedite working with foreign cultures. Third, the legal profession is a training ground for leadership, so this would empower many minorities. And lastly, minorities will soon be the majority of the United States, as of 2042, according to the Census Bureau.
Diversity corresponds not only to women and minorities, but also to lawyers with disabilities, who also struggle to find their place in the field.
JDs should be avid in seeking out their rightful place in the profession. "We need to encourage them to look at the law more broadly -- to not assume there are only select areas that they need to go into," said Yamate in the same interview. "There are some practice areas where women and minorities are terribly underrepresented where there could be some tremendous career opportunities, especially with corporations and clients who are interested in greater diversity."
Perhaps legal diversity is inevitable as minorities increase in numbers; the pressure will eventually burst the dam. Till then, women, minorities, and the disabled are only slowly gaining a hold in the industry.
