Without doubt, this summer associate class was the most diverse ever measured in every way, and it holds the promise of a law firm world that is truly more diverse, equitable and inclusive. The challenge for the industry is to retain, train, develop and promote this talented and diverse pool of new lawyers, so that five years from now, the associate ranks as a whole reflect similar diversity and representation, and 10 or 15 years from now, we can celebrate a partnership class that is similarly diverse.
— James Leipold, executive director of the National Association for Law Placement, commenting on the major progress for diversity that was displayed in Biglaw’s most recent summer associate class. The percentage of summer associates of color increased by about 5 percentage points this past summer, to 41.34%. This is the greatest increase in the nearly 30 years that NALP has been tracking this information. Women and LGBTQ summer associates also had their gains noted in NALP’s 2021 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms, with the percentage of summer associates who are women increasing by 1.4 percentage points to 55.06%, and the percentage of LGBTQ summer associates increasing by about a percentage point, moving up to 8.41%, a historic high.
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
