As law firms continue to increase their productivity and operating efficiency, they are expecting greater contributions at every level of the organization, including their most junior ranks. Being a junior associate can prove challenging for anyone. However, research has shown that women of color may find themselves in particularly challenging circumstances, given the intersection of race and gender.
When surveyed, women of color often reported experiencing greater challenges to inclusion and advancement in law firms than either white women or men of color. Catalyst’s recent report, “Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms,” reported that more than 75 percent of women of color associates leave their firms by their fifth year of practice. According to NALP––the Association for Legal Career Professionals, in 2010 minority women accounted for only 10.9 percent of associates.
