The number of women and minority attorneys at major U.S. law firms is creeping up, but those groups remain significantly underrepresented in the partner ranks.
That finding comes from a new report by the National Association for Law Placement (NALP), which analyzed 2008 demographics from firms in 46 cities.
Minority women remain the most underrepresented group among law firm partners, according to the report. They currently make up 1.88% of partners at law firms. By contrast, the report found that minority men make up 4.21% of partners, and women overall account for 18.74% of partners.
The report highlights the difference in the number of minority women partners from their numbers in the associate and summer associate category.
Minority women made up 12.99% of 2008 summer associates and 10.74% of all associates, which is more than four times their representation among partners.
"It is clear that recruiting efforts, particularly at the largest firms, are very successful in recruiting women and minorities into law firm summer programs," said NALP Executive Director James Leipold. "But what these numbers confirm is what many other studies have shown, and that is that women and minorities leave their law firm jobs at a higher rate than their male and nonminority colleagues."
Leipold said firms need to make changes in their approach to retaining women and minority attorneys.
Some cities fared better on including minority women in their top ranks.
At the top of the list was Miami, with minority women making up 5.98% of law firm partners. Many of those partners are Hispanic.
Three California cities had a relatively good showing. San Francisco had 4.03% minority women partners, while Los Angeles had 3.81% and San Jose had 3.39%. Austin, Texas, also made a strong showing, with 3.34% minority women partners.
New York City was just below the national average, with minority women making up 1.87% of law firm partners. More than 15 cities were found to have less than 1% of minority women partners.
Charlotte, N.C., and Richmond, Va., were identified in the report as significantly lagging in minority representation at law firms. Minorities make up close to half the population of Charlotte, and 60% of the population in Richmond, yet minorities overall comprise just 2.89% of partners in Richmond and 4.26% in Richmond.
The picture brightens somewhat on the issue of women and minorities in associate and summer associate positions.
Overall, women accounted for 45.42% of 2008 summer associates, 45.34% of associates and 18.74% of partners. The partner figures were up slightly from last year, when 18.34% of partners were women.
The increase in the percentage of minority partners overall was more significant. It went from 5.40% in 2007 to 6.09% in 2008.
