Predominantly White Male State Bar Changing ... Slowly

• Jurisdiction: California,United States
• Citation: Vol. 01 No. 2012 Pg. 01
• Publication year: 2012
• Pages: 01
• Year: 2012
• topic: Business of Law,Civil Rights

California Bar Journal 2012.

CBJ - January 2012 #01. Predominantly white male State Bar changing ... slowly

The California Lawyer
January 2012

Predominantly white male State Bar changing slowly

Although diversity in the ranks of California lawyers has increased over the last decade, change is occurring slowly and the vast majority of attorneys in the state remain male and white. The results of a survey of randomly selected lawyers conducted last month also reveal that the state's attorney population still doesn't come close to reflecting California's demographic makeup, as reported in the 2010 census.

The percentage of female attorneys in California has continued to slowly increase, reaching 39.4 percent in the current survey, compared with just 26 percent 20 years ago, 32 percent in 2001 and 34 percent in 2006.

Diversification by ethnic group also continued to increase but at a substantially slower pace. The percentage of white attorneys has dropped to 79.3 percent, compared with 91 percent in 1991, 83 percent in 2001 and 84.4 percent five years ago.

The survey also found that the state's lawyers are graying: Nearly half (48 percent) are 55 or older, compared with just 14 percent in 1991, and half have been practicing law for 20 years or more.

Other highlights of the online survey, conducted by Hertz Research of Bodega Bay over a 10-day period at the end of November and the beginning of December, include:

* Fully two-thirds work in private...