Continuing Legal Education (CLE) or other fi rm-pro- vided skills training programs. Ninety-three percent of respondents receive formal performance evaluations, and 81 percent said these evaluations are transparent, honest, and clear. More than three-quarters of the respondents (76 percent) said that their fi rms provide a forum for accurate and eff ective feedback. However, advice, training, and feedback have not
22
led to meaningful opportunities for these attorneys to develop business. More than half (61 percent) of those responding stated that “all” or “virtually all” of their work is for clients of other attorneys. T at percentage becomes even greater if you couple it with the 18 percent who generate “some” of their own work, while the bal- ance is for the clients of others. Generating one’s own client base is key to being
a successful attorney and advancing in one’s fi rm. It should be noted that this is not an issue that is neces- sarily specifi c to attorneys of color, particularly in this recent economic downturn that has slowed growth across entire practices.
LACK OF CLIENT CONTACT
Also noteworthy is the fact that 34 percent of those responding indicated that they either “occasionally” or “rarely” meet or communicate directly with clients. T is is disconcerting for obvious reasons—insuffi cient direct client communication can thwart professional development and advancement in any fi rm. It may also lead these PLF attorneys of color to feel that there is a perception they can- not be trusted with certain clients, or that there is a lack of confi dence in them or their professional abilities. Naturally, those surveyed desire increased client contact and access. One of the more striking results of the survey was the
fact that 40 percent of respondents were either neutral on, or disagreed with, the proposition that they were valued members of their fi rms and that their contribu- tions were noticed and appreciated. Likewise, a similar
DIVERSITY & THE BAR® JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 10 0
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES TO YOUR ADVANCEMENT WITHIN YOUR FIRM?*
New matter generation 50 47%
Suffi cient work to meet billable hours targets
26% 40 There are no obstacles 25%
Lack of opportunity to improve or demonstrate legal skills
30 17% Other 13% Lack of 20
assignments on matters for top revenue- generating clients
12%
* Percent total does not equal 100 because respondents were allowed more than one choice.
percentage of attorneys were neutral or dissatisfi ed with their career progression. Because of the limited scope of this survey, the results do not indicate whether this dis- satisfaction is universal, aff ecting non-minority attorneys as well, or is a result of the downturn in the economy. However, the fact that 40 percent of the attorneys of
MCCA.COM
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52