Is this downturn affecting minorities / women / LGBT individuals more than the rest of the profession?
LEIPOLD: It’s a question that’s on everyone’s mind. NALP held its annual diversity summit last week, and participants expressed a perception that layoffs have disproportionately affected women and minorities. It is too soon to know in a quantitative way is true. But the fact that there is this perception is important in and of itself. Minority communities are feeling beleaguered or disproportionately affected. Are minority lawyers affected disproportionately because they are younger or more junior? LEIPOLD: It’s not clear that young lawyers are being hardest hit by layoffs. Some firms have been making deep cuts to the ranks of fairly senior lawyers, including non-equity partners. Members of the LGBT community are not the most vulnerable because we can “pass.” Women of color are probably the most vulnerable — and have been for some time. Given the economy, do firms still value diversity? LEIPOLD: This is a real litmus test for whether diversity is a core value. Law firms absolutely have
