The number of Black lawyers in the United States is at a standstill at a time when issues of justice, race, political and socioeconomic inequalities are at a boiling point.
The American Bar Association (ABA) says this in its Profile of the Legal Profession report, the number of lawyers of color, including Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, and mixed-race attorneys, grew 3 percentage points in the past 10 years. However, the percentage of lawyers who are Black has not changed in a decade. The U.S. population, by comparison, is 13.4% Black.
Numbers do not always paint a full picture. However, in this case, they clearly point to the core of the issue: under-representation of Black Americans in the legal profession.
Why does this matter?
Lawyers can play powerful roles in so many critical sectors of society. Lawyers become our judges. They are often in positions of authority as elected officials; as leaders in business; and head philanthropic organizations.
Yet now we have a situation where young Blacks even mildly interested in the legal profession do not see themselves in those positions of leadership; in elected office; or in the boardroom and courtroom.
So how do we approach this void in representation at a critical time in our history?
Good begets better.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Without role models that push you and friendly faces within a professional community who understand your path, almost anyone coming into a new career can feel failure knocking – sometimes a lot louder than opportunity.
Yes, everyone, from any background or circumstance, should be responsible for their own career. You need to show up. You need to be at your best, have a winning attitude and pay attention to those things that will make you a better lawyer – or doctor – or teacher.
The ability to see yourself as a success can be the catalyst that separates the good from the best in class.
The legal profession is an apprenticeship. Lawyers learn from other lawyers. There is an order of progression in most legal careers. Beyond law school, new lawyers require mentorship, sponsorship and a social setting that fosters personal growth and development.
This scenario is all too familiar to me. Growing up in an inner suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, we did not have a lot financially. And I was the first Black student in my class at a private school I attended on financial aid, and one of two Black Americans to graduate in that class.
Today, I am president of a global law firm.
Being in this type of role gives you a perspective as to how decisions are made in a firm, at a leadership level: when we discuss clients’ needs, when we talk about elevation to partnership, when we talk about fiscal management, etc. This gives me a perspective that very few Black lawyers currently have and very few have ever had.
Perspective is critical.
Being in the room and having access to the levers of power when key decisions are made matters. Ultimately, this gives you an opportunity to break down systemic barriers, whether inside the firm, within the community, or with clients – who are now demanding diversity and inclusion and rightly so.
How did I get here?
Getting here took grit, commitment and a vision for who I could be.
However, this “seat at the table” could not have happened without the sacrifices of those Black lawyers who came before me. Or without intentional actions taken by a more-senior Black lawyer when I was a young partner.
When I became a junior partner at my firm, a very well-regarded Black public finance attorney joined the firm and became my sponsor. There were several non-Black leaders who were and continue to be incredibly supportive of me; but in terms of a day-to-day sponsor, this attorney was it.
He spoke to me about the practice of law, the business of law. He counseled on life’s challenges and the interface of business, family and community. One of the things he told me was that if we could work together, we would be capable of doing things beyond even my wildest dreams.
And so, that began a connected journey with somebody who looked like me; somebody who had lived my life. This was like having a big brother who stood by my side and guided me – even today.
I believe that, for the most part, firms, law schools and clients want “diversity”.
However, without an actionable commitment to sponsorship models, much like what I experienced, they are simply adding to the problem by delivering false hopes and “programs” without substance.
No one needs another thinly veiled attempt at inclusion.
Our Black law students, junior lawyers and even those just beginning to consider a career in law, deserve better.
Our community deserves better.
We can do better.
Ernest L. Greer is president of law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP.
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