NALP Bulletin, February 2018
NALP's reporting on the presence of women and minorities in large firms now spans 25 years. Findings have been reported out year by year over that time period, but summary findings are presented here all together for the first time. These tables largely speak for themselves, but a few highlights are noted below.
For findings available for the entire 1993-2017 period:
Findings based on the specific racial or ethnic groups tracked in the Directory were compiled starting in 1997, and dig into overall figures in more detail, revealing discrepancies. For example:
Finally, figures for all lawyers have been compiled since 2006.
NALP press releases and research NALP Bulletin columns from which these summary findings were compiled can be found on the NALP website at www.nalp.org/pastpressreleases and www.nalp.org/minoritieswomen.
Table 1. Women and Minorities at Law Firms
Summary of Press Release National Findings 1993-2017
|
% Minority | % Women | ||||
Partners | Associates | Summer Associates |
Partners | Associates | Summer Associates |
|
1993 | 2.55%* | 7.69%* | 18.91% | 12.27%* | 38.78%* | 41.16% |
1994 | 2.68* | 8.36* | 19.74 | 12.91* | 38.99* | 42.16 |
1995 | 2.79* | 9.29* | 19.28 | 13.43* | 38.98* | 44.14 |
1996 | 2.93* | 10.17* | 19.27 | 14.19* | 39.79* | 43.34 |
1997 | 2.95 | 11.06* | 18.66 | 14.21 | 40.11* | 43.95 |
1998 | 3.07 | 11.81* | 18.47 | 14.55 | 40.90* | 44.41 |
1999 | 3.25 | 12.06* | 17.67 | 15.04 | 41.39* | 45.97 |
2000 | 3.35 | 12.86* | 17.28 | 15.63 | 41.69* | 46.26 |
2001 | 3.55 | 13.70* | 17.26 | 15.80 | 41.94* | 48.23 |
2002 | 3.71 | 14.27* | 19.19 | 16.30 | 42.42* | 48.22 |
2003 | 4.04 | 14.63* | 18.67 | 16.81 | 43.02* | 49.20 |
2004 | 4.32 | 15.06* | 20.15 | 17.06 | 43.96* | 47.74 |
2005 | 4.63 | 15.62* | 22.85 | 17.29 | 44.12* | 47.92 |
2006 | 5.01 | 16.72 | 23.05 | 17.9 | 44.33 | 46.67 |
2007 | 5.40 | 18.07 | 24.19 | 18.34 | 45.06 | 45.58 |
2008 | 5.92 | 19.08 | 24.04 | 18.74 | 45.34 | 45.42 |
2009 | 6.05 | 19.67 | 24.04 | 19.21 | 45.66 | 46.62 |
2010 | 6.16 | 19.53 | 26.99 | 19.43 | 45.41 | 47.35 |
2011 | 6.56 | 19.90 | 27.11 | 19.54 | 45.35 | 47.71 |
2012 | 6.71 | 20.32 | 29.55 | 19.91 | 45.05 | 46.26 |
2013 | 7.10 | 20.93 | 29.51 | 20.22 | 44.79 | 45.32 |
2014 | 7.33 | 21.63 | 30.27 | 21.05 | 44.94 | 46.33 |
2015 | 7.52 | 22.00 | 31.16 | 21.46 | 44.68 | 47.78 |
2016 | 8.05 | 22.72 | 32.33 | 22.13 | 45.00 | 48.71 |
2017 | 8.42 | 23.32 | 32.33 | 22.70 | 45.48 | 49.87 |
*An asterisk indicates that the partner figures include of counsel, or that the associate figure includes senior attorneys, and staff attorneys.
Source: Figures compiled from NALP's Directory of Legal Employers for the years 1993-2017.
Table 2. Partner and Associate Demographics — 1997-2017
Partners | Associates | |||||
% Black/ African-American |
% Asian | % Hispanic | % Black/ African-American |
% Asian | % Hispanic | |
1997 | 1.08% | 0.94% | 0.85% | 3.77% | 4.57% | 2.57% |
1998 | 1.12 | 0.97 | 0.92 | 3.96 | 5.15 | 2.54 |
1999 | 1.16 | 1.00 | 1.01 | 3.85 | 5.49 | 2.52 |
2000 | 1.21 | 1.04 | 1.02 | 4.00 | 6.00 | 2.65 |
2001 | 1.28 | 1.14 | 1.04 | 4.24 | 6.52 | 2.74 |
2002 | 1.32 | 1.18 | 1.09 | 4.23 | 6.99 | 2.84 |
2003 | 1.38 | 1.31 | 1.20 | 4.07 | 7.01 | 2.96 |
2004 | 1.47 | 1.40 | 1.27 | 4.13 | 7.40 | 3.03 |
2005 | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC | NC |
2006 | 1.55 | 1.78 | 1.38 | 4.49 | 8.13 | 3.44 |
2007 | 1.64 | 1.94 | 1.56 | 4.65 | 8.94 | 3.68 |
2008 | 1.71 | 2.05 | 1.68 | 4.75 | 9.05 | 3.86 |
2009 | 1.71 | 2.20 | 1.65 | 4.66 | 9.28 | 3.89 |
2010 | 1.70 | 2.30 | 1.70 | 4.36 | 9.39 | 3.81 |
2011 | 1.71 | 2.36 | 1.92 | 4.29 | 9.65 | 3.83 |
2012 | 1.73 | 2.48 | 1.91 | 4.19 | 10.01 | 3.90 |
2013 | 1.78 | 2.67 | 1.99 | 4.10 | 10.48 | 3.82 |
2014 | 1.72 | 2.74 | 2.16 | 4.01 | 10.80 | 3.95 |
2015 | 1.77 | 2.89 | 2.19 | 3.95 | 10.93 | 4.28 |
2016 | 1.81 | 3.13 | 2.31 | 4.11 | 11.25 | 4.42 |
2017 | 1.83 | 3.31 | 2.40 | 4.28 | 11.40 | 4.57 |
Source: Figures compiled from NALP's Directory of Legal Employers for all the years 1997-2017, except 2005.
Table 3. Minorities and Minority Women at Law Firms — 2006-2017
Partners | Associates | All Lawyers | Summer Associates | |||||
% Minority | % Minority Women |
% Minority | % Minority Women |
% Minority | % Minority Women |
% Minority | % Minority Women |
|
2006 | 5.01% | 1.48% | 16.72% | 9.16% | 10.58% | 5.18% | 23.05% | 12.40% |
2007 | 5.40 | 1.65 | 18.07 | 10.07 | 11.43 | 5.70 | 24.19 | 13.25 |
2008 | 5.92 | 1.84 | 19.08 | 10.73 | 12.26 | 6.18 | 24.04 | 12.99 |
2009 | 6.05 | 1.88 | 19.67 | 11.02 | 12.59 | 6.33 | 24.04 | 12.90 |
2010 | 6.16 | 1.95 | 19.53 | 10.90 | 12.40 | 6.20 | 26.99 | 14.92 |
2011 | 6.56 | 2.04 | 19.90 | 10.96 | 12.70 | 6.23 | 27.11 | 15.19 |
2012 | 6.71 | 2.16 | 20.32 | 11.08 | 12.91 | 6.32 | 29.55 | 16.26 |
2013 | 7.10 | 2.26 | 20.93 | 11.29 | 13.36 | 6.49 | 29.51 | 15.78 |
2014 | 7.33 | 2.45 | 21.63 | 11.51 | 13.83 | 6.74 | 30.27 | 16.63 |
2015 | 7.52 | 2.55 | 22.00 | 11.78 | 13.97 | 6.81 | 31.16 | 16.99 |
2016 | 8.05 | 2.76 | 22.72 | 12.42 | 14.62 | 7.23 | 32.33 | 18.05 |
2017 | 8.42 | 2.90 | 23.32 | 12.86 | 15.18 | 7.54 | 32.33 | 18.23 |
Note: Starting in 2006, data collection was expanded to include gender within each racial/ethnic category. Figures for all lawyers were calculated starting in 2006.
Source: Figures compiled from NALP's Directory of Legal Employers for the years 2006-2017.