Diversity in ‘Big Law’

Story and photos by Maria Iacobo

According to the National Association for Law Placement, minorities hold 7.1 percent of partner positions in the nation’s major law firms; women hold 2.7 percent of partner positions; and openly LGBT attorneys represent 2.2 percent of lawyers at most big firms. Given this underrepresentation, four attorneys from the Los Angeles office of Munger, Tolles & Olson (MTO) visited USC Gould recently to discuss how students identifying with these three groups in particular, could be successful in “Big Law.”

Tammy Godley '96

The panel discussion was led by Tamerlin “Tammy” Godley ’96 a partner at MTO specializing in entertainment litigation and advising. Godley shared that she had her first child while a 1L and brought him, as an infant, to the very classroom in which the discussion was being held.

Given that she was a new mother while handling all the stresses of law school, it was no wonder Godley said that discussing work-life balance was her “favorite subject.”

“Work-life balance is cyclical,” Godley said. “Early on in a legal career you may find yourself working long days and weekends. It is not work competing with life. You have one life and it’s yours to live and it’s yours to make the most of every day. On certain days you may be really focused on work; on other days you may be really focused on your family.”

She told the students that a career in law is “a terrific way to be a mom and have a balanced life. I have billable hours. No one is going to say I’m not pulling my weight.”

One of the panelists, Soraya Kelly, an associate with MTO since 2007, told the students she worked plenty of late nights and weekends. Right now, however, she is pregnant with her second child and on a reduced schedule.

“There are times when your family is going to take up a little more time and for me that time is now,” Kelly said. “One thing that I like about the firm is that it’s very flexible. I’m not locked into a reduced-hour schedule. If I wanted to ramp up tomorrow I could do that.”

Manuel Cachan and Emmanuel Teddar

Another topic the panel took on was “biases and perceptions.”

Manuel Cachán, a partner at MTO and son of Cuban exiles, told the students that it was rare to find explicit bias in a law firm today.

“But there are more pernicious and hidden biases,” Cachán said. “One of them that I experienced in law school was the surprise that I was able to write well, I think on the assumption that someone of an Hispanic background who learned a different language as a first language wouldn’t be able to write as well. I think that was the assumption among a fair number of lawyers as well.”

Kelly told the students her experience with bias had been in the realm of client relations. Clients who are older white males have a tendency to assume that questions or insights about their case will be answered by the older male partners, she said.

“As a younger female of color I find I have to speak up a lot to be heard,” Kelly said. “I have to remind myself that I have good insights and be more aggressive to get those points across [than I otherwise might be]. I have to push myself to get those points out.”

Emmanuel Teddar, an African-American second-year associate, said he felt that he had to prove himself more because he was a minority.

“It’s not fair, but that’s just the way it is,” Teddar said. “In order to get past any thoughts of implicit bias, you’ve got to show that your work ethic and everything you do is a cut above even the people that are on your team. It’s one of those things that come with the territory of being a minority in a majority place. But, hopefully through the interactions you have with people you should be able to find those mentors who look at the quality of your work and get past any biases they may have against your race, gender or sexual orientation.”

Soraya Kelly

The attorneys also offered tips on how students can make themselves more attractive candidates to recruiters.

While each attorney noted that grades are of the utmost importance, Kelly told students to gain leadership experience in student organizations while in law school and Teddar suggested a student’s initial interaction with a firm, such as sending emails, cover letters and resumes, should be of the highest quality.

“If I see a typo on a cover letter I throw it away,” he said. “You can be the most attractive candidate in the world, but if it looks like you turn in sloppy work it just says that you do sloppy work.”

One point that Cachán emphasized is that lawyering is a challenging profession and, whatever path a student decides to follow, hard work will be required.

“Whether you are at the D.A.’s office or the public defender’s office, or working for a non-governmental organization or a big law firm – if you want to practice law at the highest level you’re going to have to work really, really hard,” Cachán said. “That’s the only way to get better and it will be rewarding for you.”