Diversity is a business issue

In a recent Diversity Conference of 19 major law firms which I organized, one of the primary conclusions was that the entire firm must be involved to be successful. In other words, top management must be involved in the firm’s diversity efforts; they cannot delegate the responsibility to associates or attorneys of color. They, too, must be involved.

This also was the conclusion, though stated differently, of Derede McAlpin in an article in the National Law Journal.

“Diversity initiatives require the same meticulous planning, execution and implementation as any other business plan. Without well-thought-out details and a plan of execution, even the best-intended diversity effort can appear random, ineffective and sometimes contradictory. As part of such business planning, a detailed assessment of a firm’s diversity activities will provide a measurable benchmark of the level of actual inclusiveness, not just head counts, within a firm’s culture.”

In today’s Corporate America, diversity is a major issue. Companies like Wal-Mart and other major corporations are terminating law firms that fail to comply with the companies’ desire to be reflective of their employees and their customers.

There is no longer time to waste. Pay attention to this now or perish from the legions of major law firms on today’s horizon.

Categorized in: Management