Women of color attorneys continue to face challenges in the legal profession

Photo credit: umjanedoan (Flickr)

Catalyst has released a new study, Women of Color in U.S. Law Firms, as part of its Women of Color in Professional Services Series on professional women of color. This excellent research was done by Deepali Bagati, Ph.D., Director, Research at Catalyst.  While the findings won’t be surprising to women of color attorneys who have been employed at large law firms, they are very much worth noting.  The research determined that women of color generally experienced more stereotyping on the basis of race and gender than their white female counterparts, the feeling of being an “outsider”, diminished professional development opportunities, and a lack of candid feedback.

To work toward resolving these issues, the report recommends that law firms raise awareness of the unique challenges facing women of color attorneys, provide diversity training and education, provide discussion spaces between women of color attorneys and their firm leadership, and increase accountability for the development and advancement of women of color attorneys.

Here are links to the press release and the study.