California admitted a record-high proportion of women and minority lawyers in 2023, but the state’s lawyer rolls remain significantly whiter than its adult population, according to a study by the State Bar of California.
Women made up 56% of newly admitted lawyers last year, while minority attorneys were 55%, the report found. That’s up from 53% and 50% in 2019, when the state bar began issuing an annual demographics report.
California’s racial gap is especially pronounced among Latinos, who make up 37% of the state’s population but only 6% of all its licensed attorneys. Read more.
More from the legal industry …
U.S. commercial litigation funders committed about 14% less capital to new deals in 2023 … A U.S. judge has awarded the National Abortion Federation nearly $700,000 more in legal fees over secretly recorded videos … Three federal judges in Illinois rescinded diversity policies after conservatives complained … Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe will consolidate its Chinese operations after the lease on its Shanghai office expires in July … A Rodney King lawyer was charged with tax evasion in Los Angeles … An executive in a NYC school lunch scandal was sued by law firm Akerman for $2.8 million … A Berkeley Law study found a significant gender gap in the adoption of AI tools … A group of 10 lawyers from Constantine Cannon said they have left to launch their own firm to pursue whistleblower cases … An ex-partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith sued the law firm for alleged racial discrimination … Eleven attorneys at major LGBTQ+ rights groups and law firms face potential sanctions over Alabama "judge shopping" … A North Carolina nonprofit this week shifted its sights in a lawsuit challenging legal practice rules in the state.
Moves:
In Washington, D.C. …
James Kim joined Polsinelli as a partner in the firm’s government contracts practice from Arnold & Porter … Paul Hastings hired partner Jonathan Hamilton as global co-chair of its international arbitration practice from White & Case … Kalidou Gadio joined DLA Piper as co-chair of its U.S.-Africa practice from Curtis.
In New York …
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner added Valerie Paverd as a partner in the technology and commercial practice from Nelson Mullins.
In Los Angeles …
Venable hired commercial litigator Caitlin Blanche from K&L Gates … Frost Brown Todd added Anne Wang and Lauren Schneider as IP partners from Lewis Roca.
In Orange County, CA …
K&L Gates added corporate partners Mattias Luukkonen from Reed Smith and San Francisco-based Michael Gorback from Hanson Bridgett.
In New Jersey …
McCarter & English hired Khaled Klele as a healthcare partner from Riker Danzig.
In Philadelphia …
DLA Piper added Jennifer Wnek, who represents energy and transportation clients, from Allen & Overy.
In Chicago …
Blank Rome added corporate group litigation partners Daniel Saeedi and Rachel Schaller from Taft Stettinius & Hollister … Sean Wagner joined Much Shelist as a partner in the construction practice from Wilson Elser.
In Seattle …
K&L Gates added Christine Jochim as a partner in the firm’s environment, land and natural resources practice.
In Baltimore …
Cole Schotz added Gregory Arbogast as a litigation partner from Gebhardt & Smith.
In Denver …
Foley Hoag brought on labor and employment partner Patrick Scully from Sherman & Howard.
In St. Louis …
Armstrong Teasdale added Donald McBride as a securities partner from Greensfelder Hemker & Gale.
In Minneapolis …
Husch Blackwell brought on a five-attorney litigation team from Lewis Brisbois.
In Houston …
Greenberg Traurig added Nicholas Diamond from Jackson Walker, where he founded and led the FDA practice.
In London …
Katten hired financial markets and funds partners Thomas Laurer and Ryan Hansen, and transactional tax planning partner Daniel Lewin. The trio arrives from Curtis, where they co-led the investment management practice … Reed Smith tapped Tallat Hussain as a partner for its energy and natural resources group from White & Case … Seyfarth Shaw brought on Matthew Banham as a litigation partner for its white-collar and investigations practice … Simpson Thacher hired Paul Hibbert and Emma Serginson as partners from Weil.
In Brussels …
Crowell hired Edward Taelman as an IP litigation partner from Allen & Overy.
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