Over the last 20 or so years, various general counsel organizations or groups have penned open letters chastising law firms for their lack of diversity, while expressing a commitment to the diversification of the legal profession. Here is what has happened to law firm diversification since the first letter was penned in the early 2000s. Today, law firm racial diversity has either remained stagnant or has decreased significantly. The latest report on black male lawyers in law firms is alarming. Judging by these numbers, the profession has regressed significantly. There are virtually no more black males in law firms. The numbers for Latinos, Asians and “others” remain dreadfully low as well.

These numbers raise a question: How can this be happening with the myriad concerns and commitments to diversity expressed by GCs throughout the country? Let me take a stab at explaining why I believe the profession has regressed in the area of diversity.

First, a bit of personal background to explain why I believe I am qualified to provide the following strong, and no doubt controversial, opinions about the efficacy of these GC letters. I am an émigré of Haiti who moved to the United States at 5. Due to the wealth of opportunities in the U.S., I was able to pay my way through college and law school. After law school, I worked at several large firms as an employment lawyer, and in one (then) Fortune 50 company, where I served as director of labor and employment law. After sharpening my proverbial tools in-house, I returned to law firm practice, with the ideal of making a difference in diversity and client service.