Diversity has long been widely discussed in the legal industry. In the past year, however, new questions have been raised about equality in the profession, driven by prominent movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp. Even as stories continue to pour out of Hollywood and elsewhere, the legal industry is confronting difficult questions about whether women in law firms, or in the legal profession in general, receive equal representation and treatment.
This is one in a series of posts previewing the upcoming Legalweek/Legaltech conference, Jan. 28-31 in New York.
What do #MeToo and #TimesUp mean for law firms? Law firms are often hired to represent the victims of alleged wrongdoing, but harassment and discrimination within firms are very real problems, even as firms work to install and shore up policies to prevent and punish such behavior. We’ve also seen high-profile class actions contending that women in law firms still don’t receive pay equal to that of their male counterparts.
Equality, along with many other diversity-related topics, will be a special focus at this year’s Legalweek conference. This year, a special forum, Legal Diversity & Talent Management, will be held on Jan. 30 and 31 as part of the larger conference. Leaders from top corporations and law firms will be on hand to discuss the current state of diversity and equality in law, as well as possible solutions for establishing a respectful workplace culture going forward.
Here are some of the sessions during the Legal Diversity & Talent Management forum that will address diversity and equality in the legal industry. Descriptions are taken from the agenda.
DAY ONE 10:30–11:30 a.m. View from the GCs: Driving Diversity in Law Firms
Although many corporations now have effective D&I initiatives in place, their law firms are lagging behind. In this session, GCs will discuss how they
