We have seen a tremendous amount of progress surrounding diversity at law firms in recent years. With that progress comes lessons learned from the initiatives and programs implemented. What we have learned is that firms have laid the foundation with diversity committees, marketing initiatives surrounding diversity, and attendance at career fairs to attract and hire diverse talent, but now comes the real work—implementing and supporting a culture that retains the diversity in the law firm.

Authentic law firms do not require attorneys to check their true selves (their hometowns, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, marital status, parental status (to name a few) at the door before sitting down at their desk, only for the lawyer to return to their true selves at the end of the day before heading home. Law is a lifestyle. Lawyers do not check their jobs at the door at 5 p.m. It follows that attorneys cannot be expected to shelf themselves while they are practicing. That makes for a lonely career.