the legal profession. Although racial minorities are about 30 percent of the population, they make up less than 20 percent of jurists. Hispanics, for example, the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic group, are 16 percent of the popu- lation but only 3.7 percent of lawyers, according to the National Hispanic Bar Association. For Hispanic women, who make up 8 percent of the population, the numbers are even more dismal. Only 1.3 percent of lawyers are Latinas, the bar says. Minority bar groups say they are watching closely for the
impact these trends will have on the enrollment of under- represented groups. “Te question is how they will reduce their numbers,”
says Peter Reyes, president of the Hispanic National Bar Association. He notes that LSAT scores are a key criteria for law school admission. Students of color have histori- cally not performed as well as whites on standardized tests. Reyes says that although LSAT scores for non-whites have climbed in recent years, that population has seen no appreciable increase in law school enrollment during that period. “One of the key criteria they use is LSAT scores. We have seen LSAT scores for people of color increase in recent years but their enrollment has not kept pace with the population.” Reyes says HNBA is forming a law professor section that
would closely examine law school issues. “We’re very concerned about making sure the [enroll-
ment] numbers are consistent with the numbers in popula- tion,” he says. John Page, president of the National Bar Association,
says big changes in the industry and law schools are experi- encing directly or indirectly have an impact on diversity. He cites an example from several years ago when the American Bar Association promoted a measure that would have required accredited law schools to have a 70 percent first- time pass rate for the bar exam.
MINORITIES] SAY THIS IS A RISKY DECISION. THEY MIGHT… BE IN DEBT WHEN THEY ARE DONE.
I CAN SEE SOME [WOMEN AND
ALISON MONAHAN “Tat would have eliminated most of the HBCU law
schools,” he says. “We won the day on that one. Every option has a consequence. Our job is to make sure we are conversant with what’s being offered. We owe each other an honest discussion of the impact of this.” In the meantime, as the industry continues to realign,
bar leaders like Reyes and Page say they will not relent in their outreach efforts to young people. Te NBA has several outreach programs and will launch
a new one this spring, Saturday School, which targets middle and high school kids and strives to “demystify” the process of becoming an attorney. Te Hispanic National Bar Association plans to roll out a national mock trial program to expose children to Hispanic lawyers. “We have to make sure there is no impediment to those
going to law school,” says Page. “Te fact is, there is compe- tition for every seat. We need to make sure competition is fair and prepare them for the competition. We have to show minority students a clear path to becoming lawyers.” D&B
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