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Diverse Hiring Practices in the Legal IndustryThe term “diverse hiring” is more than checking boxes and enhancing the optics of your organization. When implemented successfully, diverse hiring practices benefit the employer, the employees, and the state of the industry. Recruiting diverse talent has proven successful for many companies, as reflected in increased profits, higher morale, more significant innovation, and enhanced problem-solving.1
So why do some industries lag behind or seem reluctant to enable inclusive hiring practices?
Let’s examine the benefits of diversity within legal firms, the current state of diversity in the legal industry, and the measures employers can take to enhance their inclusive recruiting practices in 2024.
What fair hiring practices consider DEI, and why must the legal industry take the initiative to comply with best practices?
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are the principles that promote fairness and representation in schools, workplaces, and organizations. The goals of DEI hiring practices are to open opportunities to people of all races, genders, sexual orientations, ages, religions, national origin, and more. Many workplaces today aspire to be communities where people of all backgrounds are valued and respected, regardless of their differences.
Attracting and securing diverse talent offers numerous benefits to legal teams. Below are a few of the most impactful gains your practice can achieve while building a more diverse workplace community.
According to an Indeed survey, 17% of job seekers report that the presence of workplace diversity in the hiring process is one of the most influential factors in their feeling of camaraderie and positive connection with a company during the interview stage.1 Diversity recruiting practices are essential for fostering innovation and creating an inclusive workplace that values varied perspectives and experiences.
When hiring legal professionals, the American Bar Association encourages firms to look at candidates holistically, not just their GPA and class rank.2 Candidates are more than a series of numbers, and should be treated with consideration no matter their background or characteristics. Focusing on candidates holistically can also minimize the impact of implicit biases, accidental or intentional, in the hiring process.
The legal industry has undergone significant shifts in the last few years in response to emerging, widely impactful technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and global events like the pandemic. Some of that change has included a positive movement towards more diversity and inclusion. However, the current perception is that many firms lag behind other industries when meeting diverse hiring standards.
Regarding positive movement, the American Bar Association reports that law departments nationwide are increasing their use of minority-owned law firms while amplifying their encouragement of DEI standards at majority-owned firms they retain for legal services.3
According to an article in Bloomberg Law, law placement experts believe that recruitment departments at law firms are aware of the need for better diversity practices, but it’s often the law partners that need convincing to make meaningful change.2
When it comes to the current state of diversity in the legal profession, the numbers speak for themselves. The following stats illuminate the opportunities for growth and enhancement in the law industry, particularly in developing best practices for hiring diverse talent.
To measure the legal industry’s diversity growth against other industries, we can examine a recent report from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) on diversity within medical school enrollment in 2023. According to AAMC, women comprised 54.6% of total enrollment in 2023-24, and held a majority over male enrollees for the fifth year in a row.6
Additionally, AAMC reported a nearly 15% increase in American Indian or Alaska Native matriculants (first-year enrollees) and a 4.5% increase in Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin matriculants.6 For comparison, American Indian or Alaska Natives make up less than 1% of total lawyers at law firms and Latinx lawyers account for less than 5% of total lawyers at law firms.5
What are some of the actions firms can take today to establish better practices for hiring diverse talent? We’ve outlined some of the most impactful strategies below to help you learn how to attract legal talent through a diverse lens.
A robust, experienced legal recruiting partner can help transform your firm into a more efficient, productive, and attractive firm by helping you connect to talented, diverse legal professionals. E.P. Dine has your firm covered for the best and most experienced legal recruitment in the business.
While the industry has seen small positive growth in the percentage of minorities employed in legal positions across the board, the legal industry still lags behind the standards set by other industries. There is promising growth in the legal placement industry to further enrich opportunities for women, people of color, the LGBTQ community, and other talented diverse employees.
E.P. Dine is up to the task of achieving your firm’s diverse hiring goals in 2024. As your premier destination for your firm’s recruitment needs, E.P. Dine takes a tailored approach to legal recruiting to ensure every placement is a success story.
Get to know E.P. Dine and our extensive legal recruiting services today.
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At E.P. Dine, we are committed to delivering content that is not only relevant and insightful but also rooted in professional integrity and expertise. To achieve this, every article published on the E.P. Dine blog undergoes a meticulous review process by qualified professionals with deep knowledge and experience in the legal field and legal recruitment.
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