Monday, November 13, 2006

Tracking the Diversity Talk/Actions of the Profession and Especially Law Firms

There is a blog, named Law Firm Diversity:  A Rational Discussion, that follows diversity in law firms, even specific named ones, as well as the issue of diversity of race and gender in the profession generally.  For example, a post links this article from the Boston Herald on whether what law firms say about diverse hiring and promotion matches what they do--and how minority job applicants should research and detect that.  And a series of posts from November 9 link specifically to stories on Indianapolis's Ice Miller, the head of NY's Weil Gotshal, and the University of Michigan's first response to the state's constitutional amendment on affirmative action.  It seems to be an updated source to track the reality of such programs in the profession and particularly in law firms beyond their public relations.  Although one may not necessarily agree with the political premises of the blog, it does seem to be a useful resource for such links and it helpfully follows the firms' public pronouncements about diversity. 

UPDATE:  The site Feminist Law Professors by South Carolina law prof Ann Bartow is a similarly useful blog resource to follow events and especially theory related to the gender diversity of the profession.  Here is a link to its subcategory on "the legal profession." [Posted by Alan Childress]

https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_profession/2006/11/tracking_the_di.html

Hiring, Law & Society, Law Firms | Permalink

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Comments

The questions raised there can't really be characterized as a political premise.

Many law firms claim that a heterogeneous group is smarter and more creative than a homogeneous group. Is that so? Where's the evidence?

I've asked many who make this claim what supports it, and they generally shrug their shoulders. They don't know where it comes from, but it sure sounds nice.

Some mention a study that was conducted at Harvard, but they can't identify it. I've searched for such a study, and have found nothing.

The blog also points out some of the absurdities that arise from diversity efforts. Law firms say they treasure a diversity of ideas, and then say that if you don't believe in this or that, then you can't work at the firm. Absurd! As is the notion that you can defeat racism with racism.

It's not a political premise that motivates the blog. It's curiousity.

Posted by: Mister Thorne | Nov 14, 2006 7:12:15 AM

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