Washington-based Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr sees diversity as one of the key strengths of its appellate practices, and is making it a priority in the deepening of its bench and the grooming of its leaders. The rationale for this talent recruitment and retention strategy is sublimely simple, according to the firm's leaders: diversity of its appellate bench makes the team more formidable, and it's what clients want.

Seth Waxman, Washington-based partner and chair of Wilmer's appellate practice, said the diversity of the practice extends broadly across ethnic and racial lines—the result comes from "an evolution of a process" the appellate practice started 20 years ago—a practice where at the moment out of the eight partners, there are four white men.