September 9, 2022

Here is a special update for all California licensees on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at the State Bar. 

Diversity Report Card

In early August, the State Bar released its 2022 Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession. The report is based on surveys conducted by the State Bar, including the 2021 attorney census and 2020 impact survey. Your participation in these surveys has enabled the State Bar to provide crucial insights on diversity, workplace settings, leadership roles, and workplace satisfaction in California’s attorney population across various demographic groups and employment sectors. The findings will help inform State Bar policies and programs in furtherance of our public protection mission. We share them also to help workplaces and members of the profession promote diversity, equity, and inclusion themselves.

Here are some key findings in the report:

• White people account for 39 percent of the state’s population yet comprise 66 percent of California’s active attorney population.
• California admitted its most diverse cohort of new lawyers on record last year, with women and attorneys of color comprising 53 percent and 51 percent of the class respectively.
• Hispanics/Latinos are particularly underrepresented, comprising 36 percent of the state’s population but only 6 percent of all California’s licensed attorneys.
• Asian attorneys comprise 14 percent of all attorneys, while Asian people make up 16 percent of the state’s population.
• Black people represent 6 percent of the adult population in California and comprise 3 percent of all attorneys.
• Compensation and benefits are ranked as the top areas of desired improvement by all attorneys and demographic groups analyzed.
• Women of color are underrepresented in leadership positions in all employment settings.

To dig deeper, see the full report.

2023 Attorney Census

The Diversity Report Card is based on the annual Attorney Census, a short survey that consists of demographic questions, which was associated with the billing process in My State Bar Profile. Starting in 2023, the Attorney Census will no longer be administered at the opening of the billing cycle. Instead, new licensees will be encouraged to fill out the Attorney Census as part of their My State Bar Profile onboarding, and current licensees will be encouraged to update their census information when needed (as an option in My State Bar Profile). Stay tuned for more information. 

Calls to Action

As a companion to the Diversity Report Card, the State Bar has published general and sector-specific Calls to Action to provide specific ways employers and members of the profession can further DEI themselves. The publications were developed from a review of best practices in inclusion and diversity, along with feedback from DEI leaders and stakeholders in various sectors.

• Attorneys
• Private Sector Employers
• Government Sector Employers
• Nonprofit Sector Employers

The practices summarized in these publications will also inform the State Bar’s forthcoming DEI Leadership Seal Program. Please watch for more information about that later this fall.