It is time for a new paradigm in law firms and legal departments. The old guard’s tradition of subtly requiring colleagues who are diverse to assimilate is no longer acceptable.
You actually have two responsibili-
ties in connection with this circum- stance. First, you have to advise your associate, which is why you wrote. Second, and this is a bonus responsibil- ity I am reminding you about, you have to take advantage of a remarkable opportunity to impact your fi rm’s cul- ture. It is time for a new paradigm in law fi rms and legal departments. T e old guard’s tradition of subtly requiring colleagues who are diverse to assimilate is no longer acceptable and has to be changed across the profession. T e advice you might give to your
associate is simple: Be yourself. You must encourage him to be who he is and to resist the urge to be someone else to make others feel better about him. Diversity of perspectives can only have value if each of us stands strong and confi dently in ourselves as diff erent members of the same team. In supporting your associate, you will need to encourage him to seek out more mentors, including other Asian American males as well as other diverse mentors. You will need to encourage him to continue to challenge himself in whatever ways will uniquely develop him. Finally, you must continue to have open and frank conversations with him, and others, about diversity and inclusion in your fi rm.
MCCA.COM As for your other responsibility in
helping to shift the culture in your fi rm, you are up against a big chal- lenge, and I would not suggest you can do it alone. But we all must start somewhere. Since your associate is Asian American, let’s discuss some of the unique challenges that he may be facing. Have you ever heard of the term “bamboo ceiling”?1
conceptions are always true. Once you are educated about these
types of issues, you can begin chipping away at the culture that is isolating him. One way to begin impacting this shift is to start telling your associate’s story. You can become an internal marketer for your associate and the idea that the fi rm should actively engage in greater acceptance and inclusion of others who may not be in the major- ity. Start telling your partners about who he is and the excellent lawyer and partner candidate you know him to be. Also seek out opportunities to tell others about times that he displays the behavior that is prized as successful in your fi rm. Fight against the unfair biases and stereotypes that others may have by talking about times when your associate demonstrates leadership, cha- risma, creativity, and aggressiveness for the client and calculated risk-taking— typically qualities that appeal to most employers regardless of the employee’s demographic. Over time, your partners will
It refers to the
processes and barriers that often serve to exclude Asians, Pacifi c Islanders, and people of Asian descent from execu- tive positions on the basis of subjective factors such as “lack of leadership potential” and “lack of communica- tion skills” that cannot actually be explained by job performance or quali- fi cations.2
Are you familiar with this
concept? If not, get educated because you have to know the obstacles your colleague is up against. Are you aware of the stereotypes he is fi ghting? For example, is he subjected to the “model minority” stereotype? T is stereotype assumes that all Asians are quiet, hardworking, family-oriented, high achieving in math and science, as well as self-eff acing, non-confrontational, deferential towards authority, unas- sertive, and antisocial. Some of these qualities may describe your associate, but as with all stereotypes, not all of the standardized and simplifi ed
start to see how much you value your associate and how much he brings to the table, despite not being like everyone else. If you are persistent and consistent, you will educate others, and you will help your partners chal- lenge their own biases and stereotypes. Even if your contribution seems small, your good eff orts will slowly aff ect the culture at your fi rm.
Good luck!
Kindest regards, Lawyer’s Lantern D&B
Lori L. Garrett is MCCA’s vice president and managing director for MCCA’s southeast region. She heads MCCA’s professional development services.
1
Anne Fisher, Piercing the ‘Bamboo Ceiling’, Fortune, August 8, 2005, available online at
http://money.cnn. com/2005/08/08/news/economy/annie/fortune_ annie080805/
index.htm.
2
See defi nition of bamboo ceiling at http://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bamboo_ceiling.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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