According to a recent study by Law360, an online source of current industry news within the legal profession, African Americans are the most poorly represented racial minority at U.S. law firms today. On average, U.S. law firms have just 3.5 percent black non-partners and 1.6 percent black partners, even though more than 20 percent of students enrolled in U.S. law schools during the past ten years have been minorities.
These U.S. law firms are the exception. Law360 included 289 U.S. law firms in their study and found that these 10 law firms had above average numbers of blacks who are partners, non-partners, and attorneys within their companies:
- Ogletree Deakins - Birmingham, Michigan, represents employers from small companies to Fortune 500.
- Littler - Detroit, Michigan, specializes in employment and labor law and has offices throughout the U.S.
- Bowman & Brooke - Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, has 200 attorneys and 10 offices. Their legal services include high-profile product litigation.
- Fitch Even - this Chicago law firm was established in 1859 and specializes in intellectual property and technology-related legal issues.
- McGuire Woods - this Richmond, Virginia law firm was founded in 1834 and has more than 1,000 attorneys and 21 offices across the U.S. and Europe.
- Thacker Martinsek - located in Cleveland, Ohio, this law firm covers litigation for employment, business, insurance, corporate and municipal areas. The firm is also a certified women-owned firm.
- Cleary Gottlieb - this New York City law firm, founded in 1946, is a leading international law firm that practices in the U.S., Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
- Covington & Burling - located in Washington, D.C., this international law firm also has offices in Beijing, Brussels, London, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, and San Diego.
- Baker Donelson - this large U.S. law firm is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee and has 20 offices throughout the U.S. They offer full service legal representation.
- Marshall Dennehey - headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, this law firm also has offices in Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Cincinnati, Ohio.