White Men not so welcome in law - Microsoft joins Wal-Mart in diversity push

We know from the high-powered lead paint litigation around the nation that top-tier legal work is dominated by white men. Think back to Rhode Island Lead Paint II.  The lead defense attorneys were Mickey Pohl, John Tarnatino, Don Scott, and Mike Nilan. For the RI Supreme Court oral arguments more women were included but we know who stole the show - the men.

Now that might become impossible. As Michael Krauss reports on Pointoflaw.com, Microsoft has embarked on an aggressive push to increase diversity aka anyone but white men in law firms. Krauss says, "Microsoft's [sic] has informed its 17 'Premium Preferred Provider law firms' which collectively receive about $150 million in fees each year, that they will receive financial bonuses based on 'improvements' they made in their diversity numbers."

This follows the recent announcement that this fall Wal-Mart is installing software which monitors diversity in all law firms it uses, regularly and just-in-time.  Those firms falling short of Wal-Mart's diversity target numbers will be terminated.  That move by Wal-Mart, which sets policy for how global supply chains are managed, will in itself radically change the composition of law firms - and eventually law schools.

No question, diversity is an enlightened social goal. However, having minorities represent them could help corporations such as Wal-Mart and Microsoft which have suffered big public-opinion and lawsuit hits. It might help them position themselves more humanely in the media, negotiate more effectively in arbitration, and convince juries in the courtroom if their legal teams mirror the demographics of a society, both here in the U.S. and around the globe,

Diversity is an overdue strategy in an increasingly multi-cultural world.

Comments

[j davis]

What ever happened to hiring based on qualifications alone? This smacks of discrimination and the law firms would be better off without clients who try to dictate who they can and cannot hire.