ANALYSIS: Law Firms Chosen for DEI Framework Rise Above the Rest

Bloomberg Law today released its fourth annual DEI Framework, recognizing 57 US-based law firms in an industry-leading program that acknowledges firms that meet or exceed standards for diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Submissions to the DEI Framework saw double-digit growth year-on-year for the third year in a row. In what has been a challenging year in the DEI space, the continued growth of this program indicates that the legal industry continues to focus on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in law firms.

Since the first year of the framework, there’s been an incremental movement in law firms toward increased diversity at all levels—associates through partners. With even more submissions this year, the differences between those firms that make the member list and those that do not are becoming clearer.

Program’s Background

The DEI Framework has six main pillars:

• Firm Demographics;
• Leadership and Talent Pipeline;
• Recruitment and Retention;
• Business Innovation and Strategy;
• Marketing; and
• Diversity & Inclusion in the Community.

The overall pillar scores provide insights into the progress of DEI efforts in law firms. Each pillar is scored from 0 to 100, with points earned for exceeding industry standards, as well as for endorsing various diversity and inclusion policies and benefits.

Over the last three years, Bloomberg Law has looked at those firms that are measuring DEI well, dived into what makes up the D, E, and I sections of the framework, and covered some demographic trends. About 75 firms submitted data this year, and 57 made the member list.

Spot the Differences

In the first year or two of the program, submissions came mainly from firms that already had accolades for their work in DEI. As the program has grown, submissions have also come from firms with less public recognition for their DEI efforts but now feel ready to share—whether of their own initiative or because corporate clients have expressed interest in having them participate.

As a result, this year’s results are a better representation of the industry as a whole year over year and provide a richer set of data for investigation.

Firms that have DEI policies and that prioritize diversity are areas where member and non-member firms diverge. These are also the places most ripe for improvement, as they can be low-to-no cost implementations.

Over half of member firms report that practice group leaders have clear diversity and inclusion goals included as part of their annual performance reviews. Only two non-member firms reported such a requirement, showing how organizational priorities and goals can help determine outcomes.

Another large difference between member and non-member firms is in the percentage of firms that tie a component of partner compensation to diversity efforts.

Seven out of 10 member firms say this is in place at their firm compared with only 17% of non-member firms. This year, we asked what exactly that means—what counts as ‘diversity efforts’? Among all firms that have this in place, nearly half report that serving as a mentor counts, and 43% count participation in resource group events.

These are both fairly easy to implement. If a firm puts money where its values are, leaders will show up to mentor and participate, which sets up a virtuous cycle of giving back while bringing up the next generation of leaders.

Another notable difference between member and non-member firms is that nearly half of all member firms but no non-member firms have a formal sponsorship program in place. Sponsorships go further than mentorships. A sponsor, for example, takes specific action to advocate for up-and-coming attorneys, gives them work opportunities and support including stretch assignments, and provides them with visibility. These are low barrier-to-entry ways to bolster inclusion and create feelings of loyalty and ownership in future leaders.

One more potentially easy-to-implement policy that sets member firms apart is a formal, written policy that permits partners to be part-time. This may seem like a small ask, but given the looming threat of billable hours, knowing that a partner is valued even at lower hours can be a big deal.

The 2024 DEI Framework data shows the myriad ways firms can put into place policies and procedures to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion for all attorneys—many of which can be fairly easily implemented! Firms continue to push the boundaries, promoting DEI, and ensuring a more equitable and inclusive workplace despite backlash to such efforts.

For more information about the 2024 DEI Framework, including the listing of member firms and overall aggregate report, as well as information on the 2025 DEI Framework timeline, click here.

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