Whether conscious or not, many diverse lawyers take risks daily that take a toll on their psyche and their sense of worth in an effort to succeed in an environment not set up for them. Lives like these require psychological fortitude and institutional support to navigate the balance beam of authenticity and success in the law. Suparna Reddy, an associate in Hogan Lovells’ antitrust, competition and economic regulation practice in Washington, D.C., said: “The added burden diverse lawyers must carry as they navigate the legal profession can be daunting, but an organization stands out when it makes a sincere effort to understand, alleviate and transform that weight into a strength.”

I am a queer woman of color, the daughter of an Angolan immigrant (now American citizen) and a black woman from North Carolina. I went from Harvard Law School to a large law firm. Then I became an in-house lawyer and diversity consultant. I am now a diversity and inclusion professional at Hogan Lovells. Many diverse lawyers, regardless of which large firms they presently work for, have stories that may not be identical to mine, but are equally complex.