Law firms shunt minority women to dead-end jobs

A new report by the American Bar Association found that Hispanic, Asian, Black, and American Indian women lawyers miss out on the best assignments and find it difficult to advance their careers in private law firms. In fact, 81% of minority women quit private law firms within five years because they are moved into jobs with little or no opportunities for advancement and do not feel they are welcomed the same way as their white counterparts. The report brings to light the problems and challenges that minority women face in the ultra competitive legal machine and exhorts private firms to do more to socially and professionally integrate minority women and to enforce existing anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies. In light of this report, diversity management executives should renew their commitment to diversity in the workplace, while realizing that eradicating sex discrimination in the legal profession requires a long term commitment and the cooperation of the firm.