The Sacramento Legal Employers Diversity Collective, in coordination with the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, hopes to gain a deeper understanding of significant obstacles to diversity in the legal profession. Through an anonymous survey of local attorneys who have between one and 10 years of practice, the Collective aims to identify and analyze efforts, successes, and challenges related to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the local legal community.

The Collective, a group of 37 of the largest legal employers in Sacramento who are committed to ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal field, was launched by Dean Michael Hunter Schwartz.

The mission of the Sacramento Legal Employer Diversity Collaborative Associate Survey is to help firms and legal organizations recruit and retain diverse attorneys from populations who have traditionally been underrepresented and marginalized.

McGeorge’s Assistant Dean for Career Development and External Relations, Molly Stafford, leads the Collective’s Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee, which spearheaded the survey.

“The lack of diversity in the legal profession is an access to justice issue,” Stafford said. “We have a diverse region and our legal system should reflect that. This survey will provide the Recruitment and Retention Subcommittee crucial information that will allow us to better support our local employers in their continuing efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion in their law firms and legal organizations.”

The survey asks attorneys questions regarding their employers’ practices regarding training, education, and dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession.

Law is one of the least diverse professions in the nation. According to a 2021 survey by the American Bar Association (pdf), 85% of lawyers in the country are white. In California, 68% of attorneys are white, whereas 60% of Californians identify as non-white, according to the California Bar Association (pdf).

Are you an attorney with one to 10 years of practice in the greater Sacramento area? Please fill out the Sacramento Legal Employer Diversity Collaborative Associate Survey. The survey will take you approximately 10-15 minutes to complete and is anonymous. Questions? Contact Molly Stafford at mstafford@pacific.edu.

For more information about McGeorge School of Law, visit law.pacific.edu/law.

Media Contacts: Ashley Golledge, Director of Marketing and Communications, agolledge@pacific.edu, 916.325.4687.