“The legal departments always set the pace…”
Corporate legal departments have, of course, been primary drivers of diversity. Clients like Microsoft have had longstanding diversity initiatives in place, and these organizations have dangled carrots (or shown the stick) to incentivize law firms who want to retain their business. “The legal departments always set the pace when it comes to changes like this,” he says.
The yardsticks being used to measure progress can vary, David explains. A key metric is often proportionality in headcount, but in some cases law firms are also graded on their pace of change: they may not have arrived at an optimal level, but their efforts over time toward reaching it are recognized by the client. Some clients are interested in a firm’s overall diversity, while a company like Novartis is focused on the diversity of the team that’s servicing them; others want to see that the senior leadership a firm has managing their matters is diverse.
One “very interesting” development? Legal departments are being held to headcount limitations, and law firms have been forced to tighten their belts, too, even though the amount of work hasn’t declined. “There’s more work to be had if you’re really good,” he says, and are capable of proving to clients you’re able to do more with less by leveraging metrics, analytics, and reporting at a high level. Being able to use metrics to demonstrate diversity, of course, is another advantage.
How pandemic has accelerated change