ARLINGTON, Va., July 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bloomberg Law announced that it has named 57 U.S.-based law firms to its fourth annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Framework, a listing of law firms that meet or exceed an established threshold of diversity, equity, and inclusion in their firm.
The Bloomberg Law DEI Framework is the legal industry’s first and only standardized, fully transparent methodology to measure law firms’ performance in this critical arena.
Firms were assessed based on standardized disclosure of diversity-related data measured against standards in six pillar areas: recruitment and retention, leadership and talent pipeline, business strategy and innovation, firm demographics, diversity and inclusion + marketing, and disclosure.
Submissions to this year’s DEI Framework increased by 15%, the third year in a row of double-digit growth, providing an even more robust view of diversity in the legal industry.
The full 2024 DEI Framework report, including a detailed methodology and lists of member firms, is available for complimentary download at https://aboutblaw.com/beIJ.
In the four years since Bloomberg Law launched the DEI Framework, the data shows incremental but important changes in law firm demographics:
- Overall, 44% of firms have a succession plan in place that specifically emphasizes greater inclusion of diverse / minority attorneys.
- 4 in ten firms (41%) track origination credit that diverse attorneys receive, and a quarter (27%) have a strategic plan to improve this.
- Nearly all firms (97%) reported having a public statement regarding their commitment to diversity and inclusion, up from 91% last year.
- 65% of firms mandate and monitor that minority and women attorneys have equal access to clients, quality work assignments, committee appointments, marketing efforts and firm events, down slightly from 72% last year and matching 2022.
This year’s DEI Framework included new questions on accessibility. The report finds that just over half (52%) of firms have a Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2) compliant website and that 80% of firms allow employees to access basic accessibility aids like ergonomic office equipment and screen reading software without requesting an accommodation.
“Bloomberg Law is deeply committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal industry, and we are excited to reveal the findings from our latest DEI Framework survey, including the 57 law firms that have made the list this year,” said Joe Breda, president, Bloomberg Law. “We’re proud to leverage our industry expertise and data analytics to evaluate and benchmark law firm performance in order to help general counsel select law firms that align with their values.”
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SOURCE Bloomberg Law
