The Top 10 Law Firms for Overall Diversity

By RENWEI CHUNG

“And when you get it all just remember one thing, one man could change the world.” — Big Sean

On Wednesday, Crain’s Chicago Businessreported that after more than 15 years leading the legal departments of corporate giants like Sara Lee and General Mills, Chicago lawyer and diversity advocate Roderick “Rick” Palmore joined Dentons last week as senior counsel. As noted by Crain’s, in 2004 Palmore authored a manifesto, “A Call to Action: Diversity in the Legal Profession,” which pledged to make diversity a factor in choosing which firms to hire as outside counsel. It was a pledge that more than 120 general counsels ultimately made. Palmore’s Call to Action begins with these words:

In 1999, the Chief Legal Officers of about 500 major corporations signed a document entitled Diversity in the Workplace – A Statement of Principle. In particular, it was intended to be a mandate for law firms to make immediate and sustained improvement in this area. Unfortunately, however, all objective assessments show that the collective efforts and gain of law firms in diversity have reached a disappointing plateau.

Palmore’s declaration was meant to renew the commitment of the signatory corporations to diversity in the legal profession. This Call to Action serves as a pledge for corporations to choose law firms based in significant part on the diversity performance of the firms. It was meant for corporations to discover opportunities for firms that positively distinguish themselves in the area of diversity. Palmore’s creed ends with the line: “We further intend to end or limit our relationships with firms whose performance consistently evidences a lack of meaningful interest in being diverse.”

Palmore’s declaration was the spark that reignited the mainstream consciousness of the deficit of diversity in the legal profession. A lot has changed since 2004, but a lot has stayed the same. The legal profession still faces a diversity crisis. We still have a long way to go. The arc is long, but it bends toward equity. I strongly believe implicit bias is the silent killer of diversity in the legal profession. I have previously outlined three things law firms can do right now to increase diversity in the law. With this being said, some firms are positively distinguishing themselves in this area.

Vault has devoted a special section to associates’ rankings on diversity issues. Vault’sNicole Weber writes:

While the industry as a whole still has progress to make, it’s encouraging to see how many firms are truly devoted—and not just paying lip service—to these efforts. In fact, the 2016 score for the No. 1 firm for Best Overall Diversity increased by more than a third of a point. Carlton Fields Jorden Burt’s overall score was 9.156, compared with Ropes & Gray’s winning score of 8.81 last year.

According to Vault, here are the Top 10 Law Firms for Overall Diversity as judged by associates for their overall commitment to hiring, retaining and promoting diverse attorneys:

1. Carlton Fields Jorden Burt
2. Paul Hastings
3. Ropes & Gray
4. Debevoise & Plimpton
5. Littler Mendelson
6. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
7. Shook, Hardy & Bacon
8. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
9. Schiff Hardin
10. O’Melveny & Myers

Diversity and inclusion have a long way to go in the legal profession, but these firms are doing a great job distinguishing themselves in these areas. A special thank you to Rick Palmore and these fine firms for challenging the status quo and fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion in the legal profession.

Be sure to check out Vault.com for the rest of the 25 Best Law Firms for Overall Diversity.

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