When attorneys of color are in leadership positions, some are so busy trying to survive and are fearful of billable hours dropping, that they aren't mentoring as much. If a young woman turns to a male, often he may shy away because of issues of sexual harassment. Some choose the path of least resistance and mentor someone who looks like them. If they find out the name of an attorney who's 'out' in a firm and willing to be a contact, that's a way they can find a comfortable environment. Many won't come out in the legal community, because they're afraid it will affect their partnership status.
Many thorny issues exist, and certainly much frustration.
In our diverse world market, more clients are insisting that law firms have diverse attorneys who are given important work. If your firm is trying to make a change, Susani offers these suggestions for making the law office culture more comfortable for attorneys of color and women. First, diversity must be talked about at partnership and other meetings. It has to be a topic of conversation often so people won't squirm when it's mentioned. Then, when a firm commits to diversity, it needs to tell everyone how important that commitment is, including the secretaries and paralegals.