24 April 2023
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The importance of the diversity in the legal sector

Law firms has been a very masculine sector, particularly in management positions, which caused rejection among women and people from the LGBT community or other minorities. The lack of representation has also contributed to generate a sense of scariness in the legal profession but, as it is an actual theme that is continuously gaining more relevance as the society is more open and aren’t afraid to show their identities, it is an extremely important task that every business from the legal industry needs to ensure.

Progress in the legal sector is working to improve but it is a slow procedure which can lead into problems and the frustration of workers. In the past, during 2009 and 2016, Carrington legal has stated that the percentage of female legal professionals increased less than one percent. In addition, during that time, the minority lawyers only grew in a one percent.

There is also the problematic that many lawyers still conceive the idea of women and minorities being uncapable of doing simple tasks and being less qualified than their colleagues. This need to change in order to achieve equity in the law firms that will also provide the advantage of gaining more confidence among the citizens as they show that they treat everyone the same way and, also, that there is someone like them working on those important cases.

Diversity, as it has been cited, will bring a lot of advantages in the legal firm as new opportunities will emerge. Furthermore, they will experiment in better results according to the employee engagement and retention. A diverse workplace in the legal sector promotes diverse perspectives which will lead to innovative procedures.

Improve diversity

Foto gratuita estudiantes internacionales alegres con expresión de cara feliz que van a trabajar juntos en un proyecto científico. foto interior de mujer rubia en blusa de moda cogidos de la mano con compañeros de trabajo.

It is important to make a reminder to the leaders within a firm as they have the power and the ability to remove these barriers that are unfavorable to minorities and women, drive to change and it has the opportunity to, in a strategic way, position attorneys to bring the best of the profession.

Another tip is one of the most famous rules, The Mansfield Rule, which is named after Arabella Mansfield, who, in 1869, became the first woman admitted into the American Bar Association, the rule "requires law firms to consider at least 30 percent women and minority lawyers for significant leadership roles, lateral openings, and equity partner promotions."

The design of dedicated mentoring programs is a useful advice to achieve diversity in the firm. These will ensure means by which minority and non-minority lawyers can encourage the development of individuals of varying backgrounds.

Copyright © The Impact Lawyers. All rights reserved. This information or any part of it may not be copied or disseminated in any way or by any means or downloaded or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of The Impact Lawyers. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of The Impact Lawyers.
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