Post #29

Nationally, only 4 percent of law firm partners are minorities; even fewer are minority women.

According to NPR news reports, minority women leave law firms in droves because of a combination of the regular discrimination they feel as a result of being women, and also the discrimination they endure because they are women of color. The NPR article says “Many of the women shared tales of discrimination that led them to leave their firms, where they said exclusion, neglect and overt harassment are not uncommon.”

According to an American bar Association study, 44% of minority women reported being passed over for a desirable assignment as opposed to 2% of white men reporting the treatment. 62% of minority women reported that they were excluded from networking opportunities as opposed to 4% of white men. 31% of minority women reported that they felt they were given unfair performance evaluations as opposed to less than 1% of white men. The study also showed 49% of the minority women also reported that they had been subjected to demeaning comment or other types of harassment.

One of the lawyers recalled being called into the office of another attorney who was meeting with a Korean client. The partner wanted her to speak in Korean with the man, and when she did not, the partner left her a phone message of him speaking trying to sound Asian. Another lawyer, who was Native American said that she had people make comments like calling her chief or Pocahontas.

Other minority female lawyers pointed out that they felt like they had been brought into meetings or taken to functions as token minorities. One woman said “I felt like an exotic animal. I was always asked to attend functions and award ceremonies, speak to law students of color and pose for advertising publications. However, I never had contact with partners in power other than at these events. Law firms would do well to examine whether their associates of color are given real opportunities to interact with the power structure of the firm.”