Summer associate classes last year saw the largest ever improvement in representation of people of color, in the 29 years the National Association of Law Placement has been tracking diversity metrics.

The 2021 NALP "Report on U.S. Diversity in Law Firms" found that summer associates of color saw a 5 percentage point increase in representation in 2021 and now account for 41% of the law firm summer classes surveyed. Women of color in particular account for a quarter of summer classes.