Greetings. It's been a sobering week in America. The fate of law firms' diversity and inclusion efforts amid the pressures of the coronavirus crisis was a fraught subject even before the death of George Floyd and a nationwide response cast a harsh spotlight on indelible racial inequalities. It's worth a look at what the current moment means for these initiatives, in both rhetoric and substance. Want to weigh in? Email me here. Want this dispatch in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here.

 

Rhetoric and Substance

Since the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic pushed the U.S. economy into an unexpected but severe recession, I've heard a number of industry watchers voice concerns about law firms' diversity and inclusion efforts.

Specifically, there's a pronounced fear that as firms look to pare down costs to prepare for a nebulous future, professionals and programs that focus on rectifying the persistent under-representation of minorities in firms, particularly at their upper levels, will be high on the list of expendables.