November 12, 2021
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'The System Is Broken': Black Partners in Big Law Say Recruiting, Retention Practices Must Change | The American Lawyer - The American Lawyer

Credit: Shutterstock.com
Credit: Shutterstock.com

What You Need to Know

  • Black partners from Davis Polk, Gunderson and Cooley on Thursday discussed their experiences on the path to partnership.
  • How firms recruit young lawyers is flawed, one partner said, pointing to a reliance on one year of school performance.
  • Each partner emphasized the importance of mentorship and sponsorship for young lawyers.

As law firms aim to improve diversity and inclusion within their own ranks, Black lawyers who have already made it to partner say there are greater systemic problems the industry must address to make meaningful change.

Davis Polk & Wardwell partner Vanessa Jackson, Gunderson Dettmer Stough Villeneuve Franklin & Hachigian partner Randall Clark and Cooley partner Bobby Earles highlighted these and other issues they faced along their pathway to partnership at a panel discussion Thursday hosted by Legal Innovators, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and the National Association for Law Placement.

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source: https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2021/11/12/the-system-is-broken-black-partners-in-big-law-say-recruiting-retention-practices-must-change/

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