What is the general perception of diversity initiatives at your firm? Do you think they make any difference in associate retention or promotion? Perspectives from all, including straight, white, wealthy men are welcome. As a female, senior associate that is a queer POC, I couldn’t care less, and my sponsors look nothing like me.

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Nope. I think they’re mostly talk. Almost all of our BIPOC associates leave after a couple of years.

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I’d rather they just focus on giving everyone an equal shot (without making a production of it) than announce some “bold” or “transformative” initiative/pronouncement and not follow through on it.

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It’s about equity not equality.

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Waste of time, money, and resources. Do good work and be responsive.

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For the most part, I think they’re just window dressing and performative.

When I see diverse candidates have the same opportunities for good work, make partner, and obtain leadership positions, that’ll change my mind. Also, I can’t count how many diversity meetings I’ve sat in where it’s just the staff and lawyers who are diverse - zero participation from non-diverse lawyers. Until there’s meaningful buy-in from those who aren’t “diverse,” (and typically in leadership) there will be zero change.

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Change would be same opportunities for work, partnership and leadership.

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Diverse senior associate. I care quite a bit more about these initiatives now than I did as a junior associate. I am acutely aware of their impact on my career, including the current pressure I am receiving to stay on a partnership track over two of my non-diverse colleagues. The problem is that they’re not enough. I don’t just want to make partner. I want to make partner in an environment that I’m more than just a token, and they aren’t offering that right now.

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Black woman here. I think diversity initiatives can work. I've been an associate at three firms and have seen differences in the quality at each. My first firm did amazing things in terms of their initiatives in terms of programming, mentorship, training, and retreats and this was particularly true of their women's, minority, and LBGTQ+ groups. Second firm had a similar set up in terms of types of groups but they were severely lacking in all of the aforementioned which made me feel very isolated and open to lateraling to firm three when approached. I only left my first firm due to lack of opportunities at my first firm. If I had to do it over again, I would have stayed at firm one a bit longer had I known about the lack of support I would receive at firm two.

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Thank you for your permission to speak 🙄

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I don’t think it was intended to be permission, more encouragement

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The only thing that works is affirmative action (not necessarily quotas in the typical sense though). As an example, I live and work in DC. Almost all of our local hiring is from GW or Georgetown. If we really cared about diversity, we would be targeting Howard in the same way. Instead, the DNI Committee hosts a monthly webinar that no one attends.

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