their fi rm, or to their career. Conversely, not utilizing such options might lead to attorney burnout, which could also negatively impact commitment and careers. It’s a Catch-22 that is not limited to minority attorneys, but considering the slippery slope of perception, could be unfairly debilitating to them.
CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FUTURE
24
Over the last 14 years, the MCN has seen much positive change in the lives and careers of attorneys of color—there are more minority partners and senior in-house counsel among our ranks than ever before. T e raw numbers have increased, yet the maintenance of a critical mass continues to be a challenge. Diversity programs have been installed, and policies cover- ing everything from attorney mentoring to work-life balance have been formalized. How satisfi ed are our members? Where do they see themselves? And what challenges do they still face? T ese are the questions the Direct Survey set out to answer. If the fi rst phase toward equality was the installation
of programs to ensure minority hiring and retention, the survey results suggest a second phase will need to be twofold: to modify and improve those formal policies to ensure they are eff ectively supporting a high “quality of career” for more established, veteran minority attorneys with the ambition to get ahead in their fi rms, and to diminish the gap between the formal policies and the day-to-day experiences of minority attorneys. “T e MCN and DuPont Legal are exploring ways
to use the survey results as a catalyst to spur the whole DuPont Network to take diversity to the next level. T e data from the survey may off er leads to show us where to look to fi nd more eff ective and lasting solutions,” said Earl MacFarlane, DuPont Corporate Counsel and current chair of the MCN. “We know
DIVERSIT DIVERSITY IVERSITY & TH THE BAHE BAR AR® JANUARY/FEBRFEBRUARY 201 JANUARY/FEB UA NUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 012
“ We know this is a long journey, but we all are committed to success.”
– EARL MACFARLANE
that this is a long journey, but we all are committed to success, and the recent DuPont PLF Diversity Summit showed that this commitment is broadly shared among DuPont Legal and its PLFs.” In November, DuPont convened a summit of those
PLF attorneys with primary responsibility for diversity eff orts at their fi rms who received a report of the Direct Survey. T e daylong session served as a forum for the candid sharing of individual fi rm diversity strategies and practices, exchanging lessons learned, and using the talent of the full group to improve results and attitudes for both gender and racial diversity. Common goals will drive the group to share tools and best practices. As evidenced by the responses to the Direct Survey,
these are the over-arching challenges—and opportuni- ties—the legal profession and the PLF fi rms will face in the coming years. While the MCN has grown in both number and infl uence since its humble begin- nings, and while MCN members continue to report moderate success, the Direct Survey results suggest that, to paraphrase Robert Frost, there are yet miles to go before we can sleep. Assisting the authors were the other members of the
MCN Direct Survey Committee: Fred D. Strickland, DuPont Senior Counsel; Tamara Sampson and Lindsey A. Gauthier, DuPont Corporate Counsel; along with Sergio E. Pagliery, Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP; and Jesus J. Torres, Associate, Alston + Bird, LLP. T e Committee would also like to acknowledge the contribution of Ryan M. Burruss, Business Development Editor, Alston + Bird, LLP. D&B
1
“2010 Law Firm Diversity Survey.” Minority Corporate Counsel Association and Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals. Page 3.
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