Canadian law firms are joining over 200 companies across Canada in acknowledging anti-Black systemic racism within their institutions and committing to dismantling it through a pledge called the Black North Initiative.

"Law firms especially understand that access to justice includes ensuring that the faces of the folks that are offering advice are diverse and that that's a critical part of ensuring that the rule of law continues to grow in value in our society," Walied Soliman, chair of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada and a board member of the initiative, told Law.com.

The Black North initiative succeeds the broader Black Lives Matter movement happening in the United States and around the world, following the killing of George Floyd and other unarmed Black Americans. But anti-Black racism in the corporate sector and police killings don't just exist south of the border. In Canada, a 26-year-old Black man, D'Andre Campbell of Ontario, was shot dead by the police in April during a mental health call, and three Indigenous people were shot and killed that same month by police in Manitoba.

An in-house compensation survey conducted this year by The Counsel Network found that nonwhite Canadian lawyers earn a mean salary $12,000 below their white counterparts. They are also less represented at the two highest job titles. The Law Society of Ontario reported that in 2016 only 3.2% of lawyers in the province self-identified as Black.

The pledge, which seeks to eliminate racism at companies and firms, outlines seven goals for its signatories, including removing barriers to advancement for Black employees; implementing unconscious bias and anti-racism education; and sharing best practices surrounding diversity and inclusion—as well as unsuccessful practices.

The law firms that have signed on include Norton Rose; Cassels Brock & Blackwell; Stikeman Elliott; McMillan; Gardiner Roberts; Pink Larkin; and Wildeboer Dellelce. They have modified the original CEO pledge to make it specific to law firm organization and structure. They commit to hiring at least 5% of their student workforce from the Black community, and by 2025 they commit to having 3.5% of their executive, board or senior leadership roles filled by Black or visible minority leaders.

"There really has been an awakening about what has been going on for years in a wholly unacceptable way that if you're in a leadership position and have influence, it's incumbent on us to correct," says Kristin Taylor, deputy managing partner of Cassels Brock. Taylor, who is an employment lawyer, is hopeful the pledge will lead to progress in this area. "I think this initiative and, in particular, the goals we signed onto has a better shot of making change than anything I have seen to date," she told Law.com.

Both Soliman and Marc Barbeau, chair of Stikeman Elliott, said they are invested in building the pipeline of Black lawyers through commitments and mentorship to Black students throughout their educational journeys, particularly before they're making career choices. Barbeau said it's important to "develop the awareness that a career in law is something desirable and available and good for members of the Black community."

Raphael Tachie, senior counsel with TD Bank and vice president of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, said the pledge has pushed the conversation surrounding anti-Black racism and he lauds the intention behind it. However, to him, "action is the important piece," he told Law.com. In order for the pledge to achieve its purpose, it must "empower black voices and black organizations" and invest in people already working in this area. "Amplify those people. Multiple their effect and their result," suggested Tachie, who noted that the CABL was not consulted in the drafting of the pledge. The association has, however, reached out to the Black North Initiative and is in preliminary discussions to ensure "the voices of Black lawyers are prominent in the public discourse and any initiatives around these issues," Tachie said.

"To the extent the pledge does not reflect the voices of black lawyers, I don't think it's going to achieve its intended purpose," Tachie said. "It's missing a critical ingredient."