Marcie Borgal Shunk. Smart Strategy
Let's face it—before the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing widespread uptick in support for the Black Lives Matter movement, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was largely treated as a "nice to have" for Big Law and their clients. Decades of interviews with general counsel and business heads at the world's largest organizations yielded the same outcome—fewer than 10% mentioned diversity, unprompted, as a factor in their hiring decisions. Until 2020. Recent moves by Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies such as Coca Cola and Diageo have sent a clear message to law firms: "We want more; and what you've been doing is not good enough."Will DEI Fizzle Out? How to Keep the DEI Flame Burning
Now, law firms are scrambling to respond. Investments in DEI have climbed, with what feels like daily appointments of new chief diversity officers and social media posts abuzz with activity about DEI initiatives at firms.
March 23, 2021 at 01:50 PM
7 minute read
Marcie Borgal Shunk.
Smart Strategy
Let's face it—before the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and the ensuing widespread uptick in support for the Black Lives Matter movement, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was largely treated as a "nice to have" for Big Law and their clients. Decades of interviews with general counsel and business heads at the world's largest organizations yielded the same outcome—fewer than 10% mentioned diversity, unprompted, as a factor in their hiring decisions. Until 2020. Recent moves by Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies such as Coca Cola and Diageo have sent a clear message to law firms: "We want more; and what you've been doing is not good enough."
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