Legal Operations have been around for over 25 years. It is a legal and human resources consulting and staffing firm. What makes us different is that we are permanent staff providers. We do not work on a contract basis. This allows us to have long-term relationships with our clients. Our purpose is to help people with all of their human resources needs.
The legal management of information technology (IT) operations is a powerful tool for advancing diversity. This is because of a diverse workforce and a powerful legal team. One of the greatest challenges companies faces to having diversity in the workforce is creating a diverse recruiting pipeline. These can be accomplished by taking steps such as:
- Creating a welcoming culture for diverse candidates
- Conducting outreach to traditionally underrepresented groups (women and minorities)
- Conducting outreach to underserved populations (displaced workers, re-entry workers, veterans, the homeless)
- Conducting outreach to underrepresented populations (LGBT, non-English speaking, and disability)
- Conducting outreach to candidates with disabilities
- Conducting outreach to veterans
- Conducting outreach to ex-offenders
- Conducting outreach to the LGBT community
With a population estimated to be at least 50% non-white and a workforce that is more than 80% non-white, the legal profession is an important part of the diverse fabric of the United States. Yet, while the profession is arguably more diverse than it has ever been, non-white members are vastly underrepresented in leadership roles.
Here are 4 Ways Legal Ops Can Advance Diversity
- Knowledge is your power
The modern legal profession has a diversity problem. Black and Hispanic attorneys are significantly underrepresented, and women are dramatically underrepresented. Legal professionals of all races and backgrounds need to recognize the importance of diversity to stimulate the next generation of lawyers.
The legal world is a diverse and dynamic place, and like any other field, there is a lot of community work to be done. Legal Ops is a group of people from different racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds who come together to help the legal community better understand, build, and utilize the strengths of the diverse communities around us.
- Keep an eye on the competition
In today’s legal market, competition can increase the quality of service and offer new and innovative products and services to clients. But when this competition is in a different sphere, such as across industries, it can also harm other businesses. Take, for example, the growth of e-commerce in the legal market. E-commerce platforms like Howdoo, Legal Zebra, and Law.com operate as online legal-billing services that sell legal services to law firms. In much the same fashion, e-commerce platforms and automation tools have become more prominent in the legal market in recent years.
- Have a leverage supplier diversity
Diversity is an ongoing battle in the legal industry, and there are many ways in which it can be improved. In the legal industry, diversity is not simply a matter of race or ethnicity but can include age, gender, and sexual orientation. When we think of diversity, we tend to focus on race and ethnicity. Make no mistake, race, and ethnicity should be a focus. However, the legal industry is looking to enhance diversity in many other areas. The legal industry can’t afford to be so focused on race and ethnicity. We all want to have more women and minorities in the legal industry.
- Focus on your own first
A recent study shows that the number of minorities who have their own home is increasing, a trend that is large because minorities pay a higher mortgage rate than whites. To further encourage this trend, the national bank of the United States has released a new video on its website that will show people how to start a “sweep around your porch.”
It’s a well-known fact that many, if not most, occupations are made up of people who are not just white men. For example, the legal profession is heavily male, but women make up a significant chunk of the profession. The same is true of other professions. What’s not so well-known is that the number of minorities and women in the profession is increasing.