Columbus Bar Association Leads the Quest for Diversity
Carl Smallwood
Led by former-President Carl Smallwood, the Columbus Bar Association (CBA) is intensifying its quest for diversity in the legal profession. On May 17, 22 of Columbus’ most prestigious law firms joined the CBA in revealing a plan to significantly increase the number of attorneys of color of Columbus’ leading law firms.
The Columbus Managing Partner’s Diversity Initiative is the outgrowth of CBA’s May 2000 call to the managing partners of Columbus’ major law firms to work with the CBA on a ground-breaking diversity program. “We established the initial goals of determining the state of diversity in Columbus, examining the best practices of hiring and retaining lawyers of color,” said Smallwood, a partner in the law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.
That fall, the bar gathered demographic data on 19 of 24 Columbus firms. Of the 1,237 attorneys, only 2 percent were African-Americans: 0.3 percent were Hispanic; 0.9 percent were Asian-American; and 0.1 percent were American Indian/Native American. Subsequently, bar members were forced to acknowledge that despite individual efforts and good intentions, they had been unsuccessful in achieving a desired level of diversity.
Once confronted with the data, members were willing to address the issue and advanced the idea of a five-year program with specific objectives and action steps. “We were willing to say to ourselves, each other, and to this community that we will undertake over the course of the next five years in very specific ways to recruit, hire, and retain lawyers of color,” said Smallwood. The five-year plan commits each participating firm to specific action steps, such as:
- Reporting to the CBA annually statistical information concerning the number of minorities interviewed and hired to track the success of the initiative.
- Evaluating hiring criteria to determine whether requirements disproportionately screen out minority prospects.
- Recruiting at law schools with a significant number of minority law students.
- Establishing mentoring programs for new attorneys, particularly minority attorneys.
The initiative has benefited from timing. Many firms already recognize that their client-base is more diverse, and to remain competitive and to effectively represent these clients, they must reflect this change. This accounted for the eagerness on the part of Columbus law firms to correct their failing attempts at increasing diversity. Yet, up until two weeks prior the signing of the initiative, Smallwood remained uncertain as to how many firms would commit to the plan. “I would have guessed a smaller number–12, maybe 15. I would have been wrong, and I am glad that that is so.”
Interestingly, Smallwood found that some law firms, affected by the attention received by the initiative, began hiring minority associates even before they signed the commitment. The CBA also has already received inquiries from forward-thinking firms on how to contribute to minority scholarship and mentoring programs. The attention that the initiative has subsequently garnered is forcing each law firm to be accountable. “We all know that someone will ask about progress next year, and it motivates us to be particularly vigilant in our efforts. If we fail, it won’t be for lack of effort, lack of planning, or lack of commitment.”
The plan acts as a model for other regions that are not noted for diversity and have not sought to institute similar efforts. “When a city like Columbus develops an initiative life this,” remarked Smallwood, “it sends a signal across the country. It is one thing for Boston or New York to develop a similar initiative, but for some place like Columbus…it is particularly significant.”
From the September 2001 issue of Diversity & The Bar®