Feature
The eight minute and forty-six second murder of George Floyd that we all witnessed in 2020 opened America’s eyes to acknowledge systemic racism. The aftermath reignited conversations around racism, discrimination, and implicit bias in the workplace.
The eight minute and forty-six second murder of George Floyd that we all witnessed in 2020 opened America’s eyes to acknowledge systemic racism. The aftermath reignited conversations around racism, discrimination, and implicit bias in the workplace. The legal profession has used this time as an opportunity to train staff and attorneys, reaffirm policies against workplace discrimination, and increase diversity initiatives. These acts are indeed necessary. But behind the cloak of formal policies remains the deep-rooted implicit bias and microaggressions directed toward black attorneys every day, especially when it comes to staffing cases and providing opportunities to take on lead roles in important matters.
There is no doubt that systemic racism and implicit bias exist in the legal profession. Several years ago, for example, a study conducted by the consulting firm, Nextions, provided empirical evidence of implicit bias against black attorneys. Two versions of a legal memo containing the same number of errors were circulated to law firm partners participating in the study. The only difference between the memos was that the participants were told that one was drafted by a white associate and the other a black associate. The exact same memo averaged a 4.1/5.0 rating for the white associate’s memo accompanied with encouraging comments such as “generally good writer but needs to work on …,” “has potential,” and “good analytical skills.” The black associate’s score? He averaged only a 3.2/5.0 rating accompanied by more negative feedback: “needs lots of work,” “can’t believe he went to NYU,” and “average at best.”
