Are African-Americans and other minorities succeeding at DuPont PLFs?
Romero: We believe so. We know for certain that the number of lawyers of color working at DuPont PLFs was over four times higher in December 2005 than it was in 1998 after adjusting for changes in the composition of the network. (The unadjusted data shows that the number of minority lawyers at DuPont primary firms was six times higher in 2005 than it was in 1998.) While the pace of progress at our firms varies widely, we have seen steady progress in both recruiting and retention. With respect to the latter, the progress has been most impressive in recent years. McGuireWoods, for example, has told us that 14% of the associates who made partner at the firm in 2003 were members of minority groups. In 2005 and 2006, that percentage increased to over 20%. This experience is not unique to McGuireWoods. Although the responses to the 2006 benchmark survey are not yet in, we believe that close to half of our large firms, as defined by Professor Sander, now have percentages of minority partners
