Furthering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
WHAT WE DO
The State Bar’s mission includes the express goal of advancing inclusion and diversity in the legal profession. The Board of Trustees has defined the ultimate goal as a statewide attorney population that reflects the richly diverse demographics of California. Recognizing that this is an ambitious objective that touches many areas of underrepresentation and inequality in society, the State Bar has focused its work on the agency’s key areas of influence: strengthening diversity in the pipeline to the profession and addressing disparities in retention and advancement. In addition, the State Bar looks inward, proactively doing the hard work needed to build and sustain a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization.
DEI Leadership Seal program launches, recognizing diversity efforts by legal employers
The State Bar launched its innovative DEI Leadership Seal program in 2023 to recognize and encourage diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the legal profession. The effort started off strong, with 34 legal employers receiving Gold, Silver, or Bronze Seal recognition as leaders in DEI, with another 43 organizations registered to earn a seal in the future. All legal employers that commit to meet goals set out in the Diversity Report Card have a year to complete the mandates. In 2024, the DEI Leadership Seal program will expand to include new organizations. The State Bar proudly announced that after a review of its application by third-party experts, the agency earned a Gold Seal DEI Leadership Seal status in January 2024.
Women of color make record gains as newly admitted attorneys
Furthering DEI in the legal profession is a critical part of the State Bar’s mission. The State Bar’s 2023 diversity report card highlighted record gains for people of color, driven largely by women, as newly admitted attorneys over the last five years. At a third of the total of new admittees, women of color were the largest group of newly admitted attorneys in 2023, a trend that began in 2021. The change to the overall attorney demographics (given the large pool of active attorneys) is incremental. Currently, white attorneys still constitute nearly two-thirds of the population, in contrast to California’s highly diverse population.
Law School Profile highlights gaps among school types and students’ success
The State Bar first-ever comprehensive Law School Profile highlights key performance data for all three of California’s law school types: those accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA), those accredited in California (CALS), and unaccredited (registered) law schools. The report compares measures of school performance by race/ethnicity and gender of the student body, exploring differences in outcomes for students. The study highlights that ABA law schools enroll nearly 70 percent of students, confer 87 percent of JD degrees, and have the highest bar exam pass rates. They are also the costliest choice for students. Unaccredited law schools are the most affordable option for earning a JD and have higher overall racial/ethnic and gender diversity than ABA-approved schools and CALS. However, the report underscores substantial obstacles that students aiming to become licensed attorneys face if they attend an unaccredited law school, including high attrition and low bar exam pass rates.
