strategic partnering and shared core values. T e unique relationship between DuPont Legal and its outside law fi rms is based on their common commitment to serving DuPont’s businesses and their concern for each other’s bottom line. Some 207 out of a possible 790 attorneys of color
20
A survey of minority law fi rm attorneys in the Minority Counsel Network (MCN) of the DuPont Company found diversity at the forefront of the fi rms’ concerns, and yet 40 percent of the partici- pants could not say that they were appreciated and valued members of their fi rms.
T ose surveyed have seen the careers of attorneys of color change in positive ways, but they also indicated several areas—such as mentoring, client contact, and work-life balance—where there is less progress than expected. In February 2011, the MCN conducted its fi rst-ever
MCN Direct Survey. T is was done to determine a base- line assessment of attitudes about career development and progression of minorities at the selected network of law fi rms hired by DuPont, known as the DuPont Primary Law Firms (PLFs). It was also designed to obtain feedback on how suc-
cessfully the MCN is carrying out its stated mission (see sidebar) and what improvements should be made going forward. In eff ect, the MCN set out to take the tem- perature of its members, to understand how far members and their fi rms have collectively come on diversity issues, and how far they have yet to go. DuPont, founded in 1802, off ers a wide range of
innovative products and services for markets including food and nutrition, health care, apparel, safety and secu- rity, construction, electronics, and transportation. T e DuPont Legal Model, adopted in 1992, applies business discipline to the practice of law. T e central concept is
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012
who work for PLFs, but who do not necessarily work on DuPont matters, responded to the survey for a response rate of about 26 percent. T e respondents, almost evenly split with 51 percent males and 49 percent females, ranged in position from new associate to seasoned partner, with more than 55 percent being new to senior associates and more than one-third being partners. One- third of the respondents have been practicing law less than fi ve years, and one-fi fth had been at their current fi rms for more than 10 years. T e law fi rms of the respondents—from 37 of the
40 fi rms that were DuPont PLFs—run the gamut from specialty boutiques with a handful of attorneys to inter- national AmLaw 50 fi rms with more than 250 lawyers. T e preliminary results of the fi rst Direct Survey,
which sought responses only from the minority outside counsel in the PLFs, were presented at the 2011 DuPont Minority Counsel Conference. A second Direct Survey, conducted in November of 2011 for which the responses have not yet been compiled, sought similar information from the in-house counsel of color at DuPont. T e MCN will repeat these surveys to evaluate the progress made since these fi rst baseline assessments were conducted.
MCN DIRECT SURVEY RESULTS
T e results of the initial Direct Survey bring focus to the challenges presently facing many minority attorneys. Since MCN started in 1997, much progress has been made, particularly in establishing policies that promote recruitment and retention and which seek to ensure that minority attorneys are considered for senior law fi rm positions. However, survey respondents broadly agree that diversity eff orts in some areas need to be revamped and further strengthened to make them more eff ective. In fact, the survey responses note a growing need for
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