The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession News

IILP Highlighted in Bar Leader Magazine

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 20:07:00 GMT

IILP was the subject of an in-depth profile in the ABA's Bar Leader Magazine! Read the article here: ABA Bar Leader - Winter 2012.pdf

IILP Releases "IILP Review 2011: The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession"

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:21:09 GMT

IILP released its inaugural review, "IILP Review: The State of Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession" today. The IILP Review features current data and statistics about diversity in the legal profession, articles exploring the diversity within diversity and inclusion, and a "Diversity in Practice" round-up of programs, strategies and other efforts from around the country that are showing promising results in fostering a more diverse and inclusive professionIILP Review Press Release.pdf.

IILP Receives the National Bar Association's 2011 Pinnacle Award

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:54:48 GMT

The National Bar Association (NBA") awarded IILP its 2011 Pinnacle Award during the NBA's 86th Annual Convention which was held in Baltimore. The Pinnacle Award was presented on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. IILP Board Member Jim Potter accepted the award on IILP's behalf.

Feature in Philadelphia Lawyer

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:25:13 GMT

The IILP and its report, "The Business Case for Diversity: Reality or Wishful Thinking" were featured in the Summer 2011 issue of The Philadelphia Lawyer.

Click here to view the article.

U.S. Representative Danny K. Davis (IL-07) Speaks About IILP

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Thu, 26 May 2011 01:25:26 GMT

May 25, 2011

View a clip or read the statement.

Study Shows Slow Growth for Diversity Efforts in Law

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Wed, 11 May 2011 11:44:52 GMT

May 11, 2011

Read more about IILP’s report, “The Business Case for Diversity: Reality of Wishful Thinking?"

Diversity study shows legal profession has a way to go

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:41:43 GMT

April 20, 2011
By Maria Kantzavelos
Law Bulletin staff writer

While a business case for diversity does exist for law firms and their corporate clients, it falls short of providing an environment for achieving meaningful economic and social results for significant numbers of diverse lawyers, according to a study by the Chicago-based Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

The findings of the study of corporations, law firms and diverse partners in law firms suggest that there is still a long way to go to make the legal profession inclusive through the full integration of diverse lawyers and law firms into the corporate legal marketplace, the institute said.

IILP Chairman Marc S. Firestone, who is executive vice president, corporate and legal affairs, and general counsel for Kraft Foods Inc., said in a prepared statement that the legal profession has sought solutions and increasingly focused on diversity and inclusion, acknowledging that the profession has made "much progress" in this area.

"Equally important, however, is the fact that we must acknowledge that there is a measurable level of frustration, and even skepticism, about the pace undefined and the possibility undefined of significant change in key areas of measurement," Firestone said in the statement. "Our findings show that diverse lawyers are disappointed with progress and law firms are finding that their diversity efforts are not a clear priority when dealing with corporate clients."

The study, which was conducted from August to December last year, set out to examine how the business case for diversity undefined the notion that clients value diversity and therefore are finding ways to include that value in determinations of the qualifications of lawyers to handle their work undefined has impacted three primary stakeholders: corporate clients, law firms and diverse partners.

"It's proven so important in terms of efforts to promote diversity in the profession and yet all the major stakeholders, when you speak with them by themselves, express tremendous frustration with it," said Sandra S. Yamate, the institute's CEO. "We did this study to try to find out why that is. Why is it not meeting peoples' expectations and needs?"

The legal profession has been hearing about the so-called business case for diversity undefined where corporate clients are said to apply the "carrot" of continued or increased business and the "stick" of an implied decrease, withdrawal or loss of business to encourage law firms to become more diverse undefined for more than 20 years, Yamate said.

"Initially, when we first started talking about it, it was the notion that as businesses had more diverse consumers, customers, clientele, that they would be better able to serve those markets by having greater internal diversity," she said. "Over the years, though, within the legal profession it evolved into a sense that corporate clients who were emphasizing greater diversity in, let's say, their business practices, wanted to see greater diversity in their legal service providers."

But the study found that few corporate law departments use any kind of incentive, such as promotions, raises or bonuses, to encourage in-house counsel to retain diverse outside counsel. That finding was striking to Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon LLP partner Sarah L. Olson, who serves as the firm's professional development and diversity director.

"In law firms, I think there is some financial motivation for developing diverse teams. Our compensation has always had a component related to diversity efforts," Olson said. "You would think that would be something businesses would consider.

"For diversity to grow, there needs to be more than an inspirational message."

The respondents of the study, which involved a three-pronged, online survey of the attitudes and practices of general counsels, law firm management and partners at law firms, included: 52 corporations representing 10.4 percent of Fortune 500 corporations; 391 law firms representing 65.8 percent of law firms with more than 500 lawyers and 39.8 percent of law firms with 251 to 500 lawyers on the National Law Journal's list of 250 largest U.S. firms; and 1,032 diverse partners.

They were asked questions about how corporations choose to allocate their budget for diverse outside counsel; how law firm management determines whether there is any correlation between a firm's diversity efforts and business generation; and about the actual revenue amounts generated from corporate clients by law firm partners who are women, racial or ethnic minorities, lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transsexuals or partners who are disabled.

Although many corporate general counsel and in-house counsel have indicated that their corporations have sought to change their relationships with law firms based on poor performance against their company's diversity metrics or objectives, only 12.5 percent of the survey respondents indicated that they had actually done so, while 89.6 percent reported that they had not, according to the findings of the study.

Of those corporations that did change their relationships with law firms based upon poor diversity performance, 83.3 percent said they reduced the use of the firms as outside counsel, while none pulled any matters from a firm, and only 16.6 percent terminated the relationship with the firm, the study found.

Those findings reflect "a good start," said Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP partner Leslie Richards-Yellen , who serves as the firm's chief diversity and inclusion officer.

"If corporations tied diversity metrics more to allocation of work, I think you'd see a significant change in the way law firms try to nurture diverse talents," Richards-Yellen said. "Law firms are very savvy economic animals. If you incentivize behavior, they will react."

Another finding suggests that although some diverse partners are, indeed, benefiting from this business case for diversity undefined seeing business coming from corporate clients who have expressed a commitment to greater diversity undefined a great many more are not, Yamate said.

The study also found that:

72.7 percent of law firms surveyed receive zero to 5 percent of their gross revenues from clients who ask about the firms' diversity;
80 percent of law firm respondents said they have never been told that they had received business, in whole or in part, because of the diversity of the lawyers in the firm or the firm's diversity efforts; and
84.1 percent of diverse partners surveyed have served on their law firm's diversity committee, but only 8.1 percent have ever served on their firm's executive committee.

The report also provides recommendations for both corporations and law firms to help make the business case for diversity more effective.

For more information about the study, visit theiilp.com/CaseforDiversity.

'Vanguard Award' to be given to 6 lawyers, judges

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:40:21 GMT

April 18, 2011
By Jerry Crimmins
Law Bulletin staff writer

A retired Illinois Appellate Court justice who now works to improve black political representation as well as a founder of the Puerto Rican Bar Association are among six winners of the "2011 Vanguard Awards."

The "Vanguard Awards" are presented every year "to honor lawyers and judges who, through their efforts, have made law and the legal profession more accessible to and reflective of the community at large."

The six honorees will receive their awards Wednesday in an event at the Standard Club, 320 S. Plymouth Court, with a reception at 11:30 a.m. and a luncheon at noon.

The awards are presented by the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area, the Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois, the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago and the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois.

Those to be honored this year are:

Judge Manuel Barbosa of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western Division of the Northern District of Illinois, chosen by the Hispanic Lawyers Association of Illinois;
William Cousins Jr., a retired justice of the Illinois Appellate Court, chosen by the Cook County Bar Association;
Selma C. D'Souza, legislative director of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, chosen by the Asian American Bar Association of the Greater Chicago Area;
Marc S. Firestone, general counsel of Kraft Foods Inc., who was chosen by the Chicago Bar Association;
Edwin Reyes of Briskman, Briskman & Greenberg, who was chosen by the Puerto Rican Bar Association of Illinois;
Laura M. Ricketts, board member of the Chicago Cubs and chairwoman of Chicago Cubs Charities, who was chosen by the Lesbian and Gay Bar Association of Chicago.

As examples, some activities of three of the winners are described below.

Cousins is a board member of the Cook County Bar Association, currently also works with the South Side branch of the NAACP, and works with the ad hoc group, African-Americans for Legislative Redistricting.

This is according to Lawrence N. Hill, president of the CCBA, who is a member of the ad hoc group on legislative redistricting with Cousins.

Hill said Cousins in his career has also helped Operation PUSH and the Chicago Planned Parenthood Association.

Cousins' contributions to diversity "go back decades," Hill said.

Cousins began his legal career in 1953 after service with the Army in the Korean War. He has been an attorney in private practice, a Cook County prosecutor, also 8th Ward alderman for 9½ years, and later a Cook County Circuit Court judge and finally an Illinois Appellate Court justice.

Another award winner, Reyes, "has been a leader in the struggle for diversity in the legal profession for years," said Charles P. Romaker, president of the Puerto Rican Bar Association (PRBA).

Reyes was one of the founders of the PRBA and is now treasurer of the group.

Reyes "has raised thousands of dollars for Latino law students" through the Latino Law Student Scholarships Program, according to the award announcement.

He also is active in the PRBA's Adopt-A-Family program which gives food and gifts to families in need over the holiday season and he has participated in Lawyers in the Classroom for the PRBA.

Reyes is a member of several bar associations and is currently under-secretary of the Hispanic National Bar Association.

"He is a very energetic, high energy guy and he maintains a very active practice, as well," Romaker said.

Another award winner, Firestone "is a leader in the truest sense of the word. He never hesitates to contribute in whatever way he can to advocate for increased diversity and inclusion in our profession," said Sandra S. Yamate, chief executive officer of the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

Yamate said Firestone is head of the board of her institute and "doesn't just say he's interested in improving diversity in the legal profession, he makes the time to do it."

"He thinks about and he ponders what can we actually do to affect change and then he considers what strategies can be implemented to do it," Yamate said.

"He takes time to be accessible to diverse lawyers. … Young women and minority associates tell me how they met him once, struck up a conversation and maybe a few months later, he happens to be in their town. He contacts them for coffee to get a handle on how things are going in their careers, what's really happening, how they are being treated by their employers.

"I don't know any other person of his stature who does things like that," Yamate said.

IILP Releases Report: "The Business Case for Diversity: Reality or Wishful Thinking?"

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:51:57 GMT

Release: Immediate

Contact: Sandra Yamate or Deborah Weixl

Phone: 312/628-5885

E-Mail: news@theiilp.com

Online: http://theiilp.com

RESULTS OF NEW STUDY SHOW THE LEGAL PROFESSION IS FALLING SHORT IN EFFORT TO INCREASE DIVERSITY

Despite a strong business case for diversity, inclusion continues to lag

CHICAGO, April 12, 2011 – Is the business case for diversity making a difference in how corporate legal work is being assigned to outside counsel? Are there meaningful incentives in place to foster diversity and inclusion? Are law firms finding value in building a diverse workplace? Are there real opportunities for diverse lawyers? Why has the legal profession lagged behind in achieving true diversity and what steps can it take to make inclusion a reality?

New data resulting from a large study of corporations, law firms and diverse partners in law firms by the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession suggest that there is still a long way to go to make the legal profession inclusive through the full integration of diverse lawyers and law firms into the corporate legal marketplace. The report shows that while a business case for diversity has been in place for more than 20 years, it falls short of providing an environment for achieving the economic and social results that reflect career sustainability, viability and success for meaningful numbers of diverse lawyers.

“The profession has sought solutions and increasingly focused on diversity and inclusion, and it is important to acknowledge that we have made much progress. Equally important, however, is the fact that we must acknowledge that there is a measurable level of frustration, and even skepticism, about the pace – and the possibility – of significant change in key areas of measurement,” said Marc S. Firestone, chair of IILP and executive vice president, corporate and legal affairs, and general counsel, Kraft Foods, Inc. “Our findings show that diverse lawyers are disappointed with progress and law firms are finding that their diversity efforts are not a clear priority when dealing with corporate clients.”

Chicago Law Bulletin Article on the Institute

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 10:45:44 GMT

July 30, 2010 Volume: 156 Issue: 148
Institute seeks answers to firm diversity issues
By Maria Kantzavelos
Law Bulletin staff writer

If you lead a corporation's law department, what percentage of your legal spend last year went to racial and ethnic minorities who were leading matters for you in large law firms?

If you're a member of your law firm's management, about what percentage of your firm's gross revenues were received from clients who ask about the diversity of your lawyers or your diversity efforts?

If you're a partner in a law firm, what is your racial or ethnic background? Have you personally received any business from corporations that have expressed their commitment to or preference for diversity among their outside counsel?

The newly formed, Chicago-based Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession is seeking answers to these questions, and more, as part of a study launched Friday that aims to weigh the answer to a bigger question: Is the business case for diversity within the legal profession working?

The Business Case for Diversity study involves a three-pronged, online survey of the attitudes and practices of general counsels, law firm management and partners at law firms.

"We know that the business case for diversity is something that's been talked about and addressed, and people have worked on it very hard, for a couple of decades," said Sandra S. Yamate, the institute's CEO. "And yet, for some reason, we're still not seeing the kinds of progress that one would expect."

The definition of the so-called business case for diversity, Yamate said, is: "The notion that clients value diversity and therefore are finding ways to include that value in any determinations of the qualifications of lawyers to do their work - that it makes for good business for them."

The three versions of the survey, available online through Dec. 31, asks questions about how corporations choose to allocate their budget for diverse outside counsel; how law firm management determines whether there is any correlation between a firm's diversity efforts and business generation; and about the actual revenue amounts generated from corporate clients by law firm partners who are women, racial or ethnic minorities, lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transsexuals, or partners who are disabled.

The institute hopes to explore whether the business case for diversity is working in its current form and, "if it's not working, why not? And then, how can we fix it if it's not working?" Yamate said.

"If you have corporate clients saying: 'The problem is, we want diverse outside counsel and yet the law firms are not giving us the kind of diversity we want,' and the law firms say: 'We're trying our best, but even when we do have diverse lawyers we're not necessarily seeing more business as a result of that,' and then the diverse lawyers are saying: 'We're bringing this diversity but we don't necessarily see clients giving us more work,' it becomes a conundrum in terms of why doesn't it work," Yamate said.

She said the study is unique in that it will attempt to measure how much clients are actually spending on diversity in law firms, how much business law firms feel they can attribute to diversity, and how much business diverse lawyers are actually seeing.

"Rather than just relying on all the anecdotes, we're hoping that this study is going to allow us to actually get some data on what's happening," Yamate said.

The institute was launched in June with a mission to address the lack of diversity in the legal profession in a more comprehensive way, said Yamate, a founder. The organization, which is based at the headquarters of the Chicago Bar Association, 321 S. Plymouth Court, is comprised of lawyers and judges from Illinois and around the country.

"We are not specifically targeting a particular gender or racial group, we are not targeting a particular practice area. We're really trying to look at the entire profession in a comprehensive fashion," Yamate said.

Marc S. Firestone, general counsel at Kraft Foods North America Inc., serves as the institute's chairman.

In a written statement, Firestone commented on the purpose of the study launched by the institute on Friday.

"Corporations and law firms don't yet have a shared commitment to diversity. Sometimes the clients put too much of the burden on the firms and sometimes the firms question the sincerity of their clients. And it's far from clear that both see eye-to-eye on the mutual business benefits from inclusiveness," Firestone said in the statement. "This study should provide deeper, and perhaps novel, insights into these and other critical aspects of the effort to increase diversity in the profession."

The use of the word "inclusion" in the institute's name is significant, Yamate said.

"That's because we want to make sure our approach in our mission includes everybody," Yamate said. "So that straight white men have a role in the work we're doing as much as anyone else. With the institute, we want to make sure they understand they are part of the profession and have a role to play in trying to enhance the diversity of the profession."

More information about the organization can be found at www.theiilp.com.

The survey is available for participation at the following online addresses.

*For corporations, www.surveymonkey.com/s/HL7Z95D;

*For law firm management, www.surveymonkey.com/s/HL2WM5P;

*For law firm partners who are either women, or racial or ethnic minorities, LGBT, or disabled, www.surveymonkey.com/s/HLXLVCL.

The results of the survey and an analysis of the study is expected to be released in Fall 2011.

mkantzavelos@lbpc.com

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession Launches Initiative to Gauge State of Business Case for Diversity

Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:31:42 GMT

The Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession (“IILP”), a new organization dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion within the legal profession, today announced an initiative to assess whether the business case for diversity is having its intended impact, and if it is not, why not. The Business Case for Diversity study, which will begin July 30, 2010, will survey the attitudes and practices of hundreds of general counsels, law firm management and partners at U.S. law firms.

Click here to read the press release