It has long been a truth acknowledged by the legal community that substantial work needs to be done to further diversity and inclusion in U.S. law firms, especially in the Philadelphia area. The National Association for Law Placement, Inc.'s (NALP) recently issued 2018 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms was a mix of good and bad news. NALP reported lower than average percentages of women partners, minority partners, women minority partners, minority associates and women minority associates in Philadelphia law firms as compared to the national average. For example, at the 11 law firm offices in Philadelphia that responded, only 1.90 percent of the partners were minority women compared to 3.19 percent nationally. In responding Philadelphia law firms women associates compose 50 percent of the associate base, however, which exceeds the national average of 45.91 percent. With these new, updated statistics on hand, the question must be asked: how do we make things better?

As reported in The Legal Intelligencer on Jan. 29, over 170 general counsel and corporate officers recently signed an open letter to law firms bemoaning the fact that new partner classes “remain largely male and largely white.”  Yet another wake-up call to management and senior partners to take swift, meaningful action. But associates can play an important supporting role in this effort, too.

It is well recognized that the involvement of management and senior partners in leading and supporting diversity initiatives is imperative to the success of the programs. Management and senior partners have the ability to promote a centralized commitment and ensure adequate resources are devoted to diversity programs. Moreover, as leaders of their firms, they set the tone for the firm's culture and its emphasis on diversity and inclusivity. It is also fundamentally important, though, for associates and other junior attorneys to actively participate in firm and community initiatives to meaningfully advance diversity in the legal profession.

The percentage representation of women and minorities trends downward from the summer associate to associate to partnership levels in Philadelphia as elsewhere. NALP reported that in 2018, 35.04 percent of summer associates were minorities, 24.22 percent of associates were minorities, but only 9.13 percent of partners were minorities. Women were 51.42 percent of summer associates, 45.91 percent of associates, but only 23.36 percent of partners. Because so many more minority and women attorneys are associates than are partners, it is important for associates to have a voice and play a role in crafting and implementing the policies and initiatives that, by and large, impact us the most.

There are many ways we as associates can help to encourage and advance diversity and inclusion—to the benefit of our firms and ourselves.

• Educate ourselves about our workplace's diversity policies, practices, initiatives and committees. Most firms have in place formal policies expressing their commitments to diversity and their efforts to foster greater inclusion in the workplace. Read and understand our firm's diversity policies and recruiting materials. Familiarize ourselves with past and ongoing diversity initiatives. Learn our firm's views on diversity and inclusion and about the efforts of the firm's diversity committee. Understand the programs in place to promote the advancement of diverse lawyers. Find ways to participate in firm programs that promote diversity. Be proactive and ask questions of members of the diversity committee or the designated diversity officer. Consider meaningful and creative ways to contribute to the success of our firm's diversity initiatives.

• Express an interest in participating in diversity initiatives, including the recruiting and hiring of entry-level attorneys. Participate in the firm's recruiting efforts by attending recruiting receptions and participating in on-campus interviews at law schools. Meet, interact and network with incoming classes of soon-to-be lawyers. Building a community of diverse lawyers can (and should) start with entry level attorneys.

• Ask to join committees and then actively participate in committee meetings and at programs or events sponsored by the committees. While membership itself is important, proactivity and participation are more important for the success of diversity and inclusion initiatives.

• Mentor and help guide more junior diverse associates. Share our experiences and proactively offer advice on how to side-step common hurdles. Help summer associates navigate the summer program by offering to review written assignments or serving as an outlet for the hard-to-ask questions.

• Volunteer time in the local legal community by participating in grade school mock trial programs or grading moot court briefs for law school competitions. There are countless opportunities to further diverse students' legal careers.

• Engage in dialogue both in and outside the firm about how to create an inclusive workplace. Ask our peers about what initiatives work (or don't work) in their experience and at their firms. Brainstorm creative ways to spur the retention of diverse associates at your firm.

• Attend panel discussions, conferences, skill-building seminars, and other events related to diversity issues. Read and stay up-to-date on reports, studies and thought pieces about diversity in the legal profession and the forward-looking steps other industries are taking toward inclusion. Take in the experiences and opinions of others.

• Most importantly, get involved early and often.

Rigel C. Farr is an associate at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel. She focuses her practice on business and commercial litigation, representing corporate and institutional clients in a wide variety of matters, including breaches of contract, professional malpractice, “business divorces,” real property disputes, public finance, and commercial collection matters. Rigel has represented clients in state and federal courts.