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Diversity , Equity & Inclusion Committee Chairs : AlexisDionDeveaux — Gunster & AntinaMobley – PublicDefender ’ sOffice , 13thCircuit
When you envision a lawyer , what do you see ? Does this individual resemble yourself , your associates , or your relatives and friends ? Many of us immediately picture a middle-aged , suited individual , likely male and likely not a person of color . Statistically , that is an accurate image today .
But , what do you think the average lawyer will look like next year ? Ten years from now ? Twenty ? The face of law is changing . The 2022 Economics & Law Office Management Survey published by the Florida Bar in October 2022 yielded results indicating that approximately 41 % of lawyers in Florida identify as female and 59 % identify as male . While a gender gap is observable , so is a trend . In the 1990s ( when some of the 2022 survey participants were born ), those numbers reflected about a 1 to 3 ratio for female lawyers . Generally , a 1-2 % increase in female-identifying lawyers has been observed with each survey .
Similarly , the race or ethnic origin of Florida lawyers is evolving . From 2018 to 2022 alone , the percentage of lawyers identifying as White decreased by 4 %, and those identifying as Asian / Pacific Islander and Native American remained steady at approximately 1 %. Lawyers
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identifying as Hispanic / Latino increased by 2 %, as Black increased by 1 %, and as “ Other ” increased by 1 %. These seem like tiny numbers , but if we view these statistics as representative of the entire bar membership , we should expect an increase of at least 2,200 lawyers identifying as female , Hispanic , or Latino , and of 1,100 lawyers identifying as Black over the next four years .
If you want a sneak peek at how new faces are rising and changing their section of the world , look no further than a local incubator . Carmen Johnson , Esq ., Executive Officer for Diversity , Collaboration , and Inclusion at Stetson University College of Law provides the following perspective :
“ We find that the continued increase in diversity among law students is indicative of a welcomed growth in access to legal education , as well as a call to action for both law schools and the profession to be inclusive spaces for all to thrive . Not only does this diverse generation of law students want to thrive , they want to do so as their authentic selves and to directly confront today ’ s challenges through lenses that are more inclusive of multiple perspectives and experiences , including those that have been historically excluded or overlooked .
This increase in diversity will continue to only benefit the legal academy and our profession . As we actively engage across differences , we learn that it is crucial to thinking critically , creatively , and inclusively as we work to serve an increasingly diverse society and legal marketplace .”
These are the future partners , shareholders , bar leaders , advocates and change makers of our legal community . Which means , as we look left and right at meetings , across the lectern , and to the bench , the faces we see will look different as time goes on . Perhaps our vision will as well . n
Author : Tiffani K . Thornton – The Law Office of Tiffani K . Thornton , PLLC
Join Us at the Upcoming Law Student Networking Social . More info at hillsbar . com .
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