Big Law Turning to Women Lateral Hires to Boost Diversity

Major law firms looking for ways to increase diversity in their ranks are increasingly opting to recruit women ready to make a lateral move from one firm to another.

The strategy benefits the hiring firms, who can then offer a more diverse team to their clients, and women, who find they often gain more business opportunities from an employer seeking new talent.

Since 2015, the number of women recruited by large firms has steadily increased, according to a Bloomberg Law analysis. Through March 25 of this year, data showed roughly one third of lateral partner placements among Am Law 200 ...