Dallas Diversity Task Force

Executive Summary & Progress Report

The 2009 Law Firm Diversity Report ("2009 Report") prepared by the Dallas Diversity Task Force ("Task Force") presents a snapshot of the racial and ethnic diversity of lawyers practicing at the largest 20 law firms in Dallas County. The Task Force surveyed the 20 largest law firms in Dallas County, Texas, as identified in the Dallas Business Journal on February 20, 2009. The list of surveyed firms changed slightly in 2009 with McKool Smith qualifying to participate and Baker McKenzie dropping off of the list.

The methodology for calculating the firms' composite scores remains unchanged. A firm's composite score is based on a firm's number of minority attorneys, depth (i.e., number of equity partners v. other attorneys), and breadth (i.e., diversity across minority groups). The composite score measures firms against two benchmarks: the population of the State of Texas ("Texas Demographics") and the racial and ethnic composition of the members of the State Bar of Texas ("Texas Lawyer Demographics").

The 2009 Report also includes checklist scores that measure the firms' diversity efforts to recruit, retain, and promote minority attorneys. A firm's checklist score is based on a checklist of diversity efforts that a firm had undertaken during the survey period. A firm's checklist score is not used in calculating its composite score.

With four years of data, the 2009 Report provides an opportunity to evaluate Dallas firms' progress in the short term. Only one firm exceeded the lower benchmark of state attorney demographics. No firm met the higher benchmark of state demographics.

Notable Improvements

-The percentage of minority lawyers who are equity partners at the surveyed firms increased from 2008 to 2009.

-Seven firms improved their composite scores from 2008 to 2009.

Disappointing Developments

-The average composite score for the largest law firms in Dallas County decreased from 52.5 to 51.6 in 2009.

-The composite scores for twelve firms decreased from 2008 to 2009.

-Of the approximately 900 equity partners at the surveyed firms, only 5% are minority lawyers.

-58% of the firms surveyed have no African American/Black equity partners, 52% of the firms surveyed have no Asian American equity partners, and 32% of the firms surveyed have no Hispanic/Latino equity partners.

For the complete 2009 report, click here.

For the 2008 report, click here

For the 2007 report, click here.

For the 2006 report, click here.

Comments? comments@diversitytaskforce.com 

Dallas Diversity Task Force Participating Organizations

Formed at the suggestion of the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, the Task Force is comprised of representatives from the Dallas Asian American Bar Association, the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association, and the J.L. Turner Legal Association (the African American bar association of Dallas County).  Working together, and by consensus, representatives from each organization contribute different perspectives and histories toward the end of increasing the recruitment, hiring, retention, and promotion of attorneys of color in Dallas.

The Task Force recognizes that racial and ethnic minorities are but one category of diversity, and that tracking and evaluating the progress of other minority-lawyer groups, such as women and GLBT lawyers, is important.  Accordingly, the Task Force has offered to share our work with other groups interested in crafting a study of other types of diversity.  The Task Force, however, again chose to focus on racial and ethnic representation to spotlight the Dallas law firms’ efforts, failures, and successes in hiring and retaining attorneys of color.  We sincerely hope that this report encourages future studies on other aspects of diversity in the Dallas legal community.

The Dallas Asian American Bar Association (“DAABA”) was founded in 1988 to promote the interests of Asian American attorneys and the Asian American community.  DAABA provides marketing and networking opportunities for its members, mentoring programs for law students and pro bono legal assistance for Asian Americans.  DAABA is a chapter of the National Asian/Pacific American Bar Association.   (http://www.daaba.org/)

The Dallas Hispanic Bar Association (“DHBA”) began as an informal association in 1969 and was formally organized as the Mexican-American Bar Association of Dallas in 1978.  Its membership includes attorneys practicing in Dallas and the surrounding areas, judges, law students and non-lawyers who join as associate members.  The DHBA aims to provide legal services to the Hispanic community, to enrich and ensure the success of its members in the legal profession in Dallas, and to actively become involved in issues affecting the Hispanic community.  The DHBA is an affiliate of the Mexican-American Bar Association of Texas and the Hispanic National Bar Association.   (http://www.dallashispanicbar.com/)

Founded in 1952, J.L. Turner Legal Association (“JLTLA”), is the African American bar association in Dallas, Texas.  It is also an affiliate chapter of the National Bar Association, the nation's oldest and largest national association of predominately African American lawyers and judges.  JLTLA is an organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life in the African American community through education, service, and scholarship.  JLTLA members provide legal assistance to indigent residents in the North Texas area, provide scholarships to law students demonstrating financial or other needs, provide attorney mentors for law students, perform educational and other community outreach projects for North Texas area residents, and assist our members and the community in seeking African American attorneys who practice in the various areas of law. (http://www.jltla.org/)