Diversity Management Matters: A 2010 Forecast

As the new year begins, those who follow diversity management in the legal profession cannot help but be concerned about whether the percentage of lawyers of color working in the region’s large law firms will grow in 2010. The recessionary economy that began in 2008 has negatively impacted Philadelphia firms’ diversity programs. More specifically, it is generally accepted that law firms have cut back on lateral and summer hiring programs, which has directly affected the percentages of minority attorneys within big firms. It seems, as the economy goes, so goes the level of commitment for recruiting diverse lawyers at some large law firms.

Added to this economic reality, "diversity fatigue," which implies exactly what it says, has become a new and potentially popular term in the legal lexicon and the subject of debate when diversity success is discussed. Some want to move beyond the diversity discussion. They even contend that with an African-American in the White House, there is no need for diversity programs.