Three-quarters of Minority Lawyers Quit Within 5 Years

A new study finds that more than 75% of minority lawyers working in law firms quit within five years. Women’s research group Catalyst conducted the study, which stated the following: “Those who leave often report experiencing institutional discrimination and unwanted and or unfair critical attention, which combine to create an exclusionary and challenging workplace.”

Asian-American women, for example, have reported stereotypes of being subservient and the willingness to work nonstop. Latina women said people assumed they could speak Spanish and liked spicy food. And so on. And generally, minority women of the same ethnic background were often addressed by the same name.

These stereotypes aren’t exclusive to law firms; they exist in virtually every kind of workplace. But 75% of minority lawyers leaving? That’s huge, and that’s scary. We need more minority lawyers to represent our growing population and presence in the U.S., and we need them to stay. Otherwise, it’s going to be another 111 Supreme Court justices before the next Sonia Sotomayor.