Top law firms lack diversity (Chicago Sun-Times)

FAILING GRADES | Black lawyers group's tally finds few minority attorneys
BY FRANCINE KNOWLES fknowles@suntimes.com
A report from a leading association of black lawyers gives 18 of Chicago's biggest law firms poor to failing grades on their representation of minority attorneys locally.

Holland & Knight received a score of 38.7 out of a possible 100 from the National Bar Association, the worst performance in the survey. The firm has seven minority attorneys out of 132 lawyers and one minority equity partner out of 38.

Locke Liddell was the second-worst performer, scoring 44.4 with 13 minority attorneys out of 161 and one equity partner out of 78.

The report found that 27 percent of the firms have no black equity partners, and two firms, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and Katten Muchen Rosenmann, did not have any equity partners of color.

The report provides the legal community with a tool for assessing its diversity track record and will encourage and assist firms in increasing minority representation, said attorney Daryl Washington, co-chairman of the association's Diversity Task Force.

Holland & Knight's score is not reflective of the firm as a whole, said Tiffani Lee, a member of the firm's diversity council and a partner. She said that in the Minority Law Journal's 2007 diversity scorecard of 255 leading U.S. law firms, the firm ranked No. 2 nationally in the number of minority partners and Hispanic attorneys and was in the top 35 percent overall.

"Diversity is very important to Holland & Knight, and we're striving to improve it in every office," Lee said.

Janet Love, equity partner with what is now Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, said the firm is working to improve its performance.

The association sent surveys to 26 local firms. Eight did not participate: Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom; Jones Day; Latham & Watkins; Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg; Vedder Price; Chapman & Cutler, Bell Boyd & Lloyd, and McGuire Woods.


How area law firms rank
Law firm Score Minority attorneys/ Minority equity total attorneys partners/total partners
Wildman Harrold 68.9 22/180 1/38
Baker & McKenzie 64.5 34/215 5/71
Winston & Strawn 63.9 50/418 5/106
DLA Piper 63.3 37/274 3/78
Jenner & Block 60.8 42/367 6/122
Sonnenschein Nath 56.8 18/176 0/50
Sidley Austin 55.3 79/583 14/232
Kirkland & Ellis 54.9 63/607 N/A
Brinks Hofer 53.5 17/127 4/66
Drinker Biddle 52.4 14/154 4/72
Schiff Hardin 49.8 22/244 2/83
Foley & Lardner 48.6 14/164 7/81
Hinshaw & Culbertson 48.3 17/267 2/64
Seyfarth Shaw 46.5 19/264 1/95
McDermott Will & Emery 46.8 30/304 3/101
Katten Muchin Rosenman 46.1 16/312 0/76
Locke Liddell 44.4 13/161 1/78
Holland & Knight 38.7 7/132 1/38
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom DNP 22/195 4/47
Jones Day DNP 14/171 1/58
Latham & Watkins DNP 25/181 3/46
Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg DNP 14/198 4/131
Vedder Price DNP 18/215 5/116
Chapman & Cutler DNP 17/187 5/109
Bell Boyd & Lloyd DNP 20/222 10/127
McGuire Woods DNP 8/128 1/57


DNP means did not report
Source: National Bar Association