More and more company leaders are prioritizing diversity and inclusion in their businesses to better their operations. They’re also doing it to support the individuals on their teams better and commit to a more inclusive, supportive work environment. Ultimately, there is significant value in a diverse workforce, no matter the industry.
But for law firms specifically, you have a team that can better connect with the experiences of various clients, and the diverse perspectives of your internal teams can help you better solve problems, improve efficiency, and create a welcoming company culture.
Unfortunately, law firms are still asking, why worry about diversity within my law firm? The following four benefits of diversity within a law firm should help answer this question.
Improve Your Law Firm’s Reputation
In light of the social, economic, racial, and judicial injustices faced by minority populations, it’s in your best interest to prioritize a more diverse practice to ensure you’re supportive of those facing these injustices right in your workplace. And that, in turn, will improve your firm’s reputation.
A diverse and inclusive workplace betters your law firm’s reputation in the public eye and among your internal teams and partners. In addition, prioritizing diversity shows that you’re committed to improving the lives of all individuals despite the differences we possess.
Share your company’s values, ethical behavior, and commitment to diversity by telling your firm’s story. For example, start a blog and share legal advice and stories about the top lawyers, notable employees, customer experience stories, diversity and inclusion initiatives, social responsibility efforts, and so forth.
In addition, a good reputation for your law firm also helps attract the best lawyers and other top-tier talent needed to keep your operation running smoothly.
Attract Talented Lawyers From All Walks Of Life
You need people with diverse talents, specialties, and abilities to run a successful law firm. And all of the day-to-day responsibilities can’t be done by one type of person. So, enlisting the help of lawyers and other workers from all walks of life can ensure your firm is set up for success.
One of the best ways to attract a diverse group of lawyers is through an intentional recruitment plan that targets candidates of various races, sexual orientations, ethnicities, abilities, and so forth. All in all, if you want to position your firm as one that appreciates the expertise and experience of all lawyers, you must prioritize diversity in the workplace.
As you attract some of the most talented lawyers from all different backgrounds, it’s essential to be mindful of each experience at your law firm so you can better the collective experience and overall company culture.
Improve The Workplace Experience For Everyone
With a diverse workforce comes equally diverse work experiences. And you want to ensure everyone has a voice and feels comfortable sharing their workplace experiences. When there’s an open line of communication among all employees, you can create a better workplace experience for everyone.
For example, many minorities deal with microaggressions in the workplace. One of the most significant microaggressions in a workplace is a lack of diversity. When your firm isn’t diverse, it can leave minorities feeling unwelcome and unsupported. And it can subject them to a variety of micro insults, microassaults, and microinvalidations by majority groups in your firm, like insensitive comments about not seeing color.
So, confronting microaggressions and other unethical behavior in your firm is more manageable when everyone feels valued, supported, and heard. They’re more likely to share when they’re experiencing things like this. And you can then shift your workplace culture to eliminate behaviors that result in someone feeling unwelcome in your firm.
Also, acknowledging the experiences of each person working at your law firm helps you be more empathetic and understanding of the diverse experiences your clientele faces.
Representation Matters To Clients
People are more inclined to work with professionals who understand and appreciate their personal experiences and may have gone through something similar themselves. That level of comfortability with a client and lawyer influences whether you come out on the right side of any case.
We’re in the age of representation. People want to see some aspect of themselves represented in the shows and movies they watch, books they read, podcasts and music they listen to, and video games they play. Diversity in media helps people form their identities, feel comfortable with their place in this world, and helps others learn about and support other cultures.
This rings true in business as well. Just like diversity is essential in the media people consume, it’s equally important in the companies they choose to work with. Having a diverse workforce enables you to better support clients from all backgrounds. In addition, giving them the option to work with a lawyer and team that truly understands them enhances the client experience.
Ultimately, your client base is diverse, so it’s best to have a diverse workforce that can connect with each client personally and professionally to ensure the best working relationships.
Conclusion
Diversity should be a priority in your law firm. You’ll develop a better business reputation, attract talented lawyers from all walks of life, improve the workplace experience for all of your employees, and attract more clients through an adequate representation of all races, ethnicities, backgrounds, and abilities in your internal teams.
