The legal profession has played a critical role in creating a much more open and vibrant society. No extensive research is needed to understand the enormous impact that judicial rulings have had in expanding new opportunities for women and minorities, nor is there any question that these rulings have made our country stronger.
At the same time, it would be less than truthful not to acknowledge that in the internal halls of the legal profession, particularly in “Big Law,” expanding opportunities for ethnically diverse attorneys has dramatically lagged. That is a real irony for many of us in the legal profession, given our profession’s history and success in erecting opportunities for ethically diverse individuals in so many other walks of life. In response, we not only continue to ask why that is the case but, perhaps more importantly, as people who are accustomed to solving problems, we wonder how we can close that gap.