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INCLUSION BLUEPRINT

The only tool designed for law firms that measures the “E” and the “I” in DEI.

A Law Firm’s Roadmap to Opportunity for All

The Inclusion Blueprint is a proven tool that measures actions that lead to greater diversity. Since its 2018 launch, it has provided firm management and practice group leaders with a roadmap of inclusion practices to employ and track to ensure all of their lawyers — including those from historically underrepresented groups — have fair and equal access to quality work, influential people, and other opportunities.

Participating firms complete the Inclusion Blueprint assessment by submitting data on four key diversity and inclusion indicators, including:

  • Current diversity representation
  • Demographics tracking
  • Ongoing inclusion practices and activities at the firm
  • Ongoing inclusion practices and activities within practice groups

Impact Highlights

280+

law firms completed the most recent Inclusion Blueprint assessment.

50+

law firm DEI professionals joined Knowledge Sharing calls to best leverage the Inclusion Blueprint to drive strategic change at their firms.

2000+

law firm leaders tuned in to learn from a series of webinars on best practices discovered from the Inclusion Blueprint.

Purpose

Most law firms measure diversity representation (headcount and talent outcomes) related to hiring, attrition, and advancement. Very few firms measure talent practices or processes related to inclusion or the equitable distribution of opportunities. 

The Inclusion Blueprint provides a roadmap for law firm leaders to track and measure inclusion at both the firmwide and practice group levels. Specifically, the assessment outlines inclusion practices that have been proven to develop, advance, and retain diverse talent, and measures whether firms have implemented them.

Process

The Inclusion Blueprint opens for participation every two years. By participating in the Inclusion Blueprint, firms and practice groups will have a roadmap of meaningful actions to take to continue investing in diverse talent and ensuring fair and equal access to career-building opportunities for all lawyers. 

A firm is invited to participate, either as part of the Diversity Dividends Collective or through the ChIPs organization.

Step 1

Participating firms submit data on four key diversity and inclusion indicators, including current diversity representation, demographics tracking, ongoing inclusion practices and activities at the firm, and ongoing inclusion practices and activities within practice groups.

Step 2

Diversity Lab provides each firm with a Dashboard that allows them to compare themselves against their peers and the industry as a whole, and identify which actions to incorporate into their DEI efforts to help ensure greater inclusivity.

Step 3

Proof

The 2022 Inclusion Blueprint Firm Leadership Insights Report highlights several inclusive actions as best practices.

1

Tracking representation and implementing inclusion activities for lawyers with disabilities.

2

Tracking inclusion activities by intersectional identities.

3

Ensuring equal access to succession planning of work and client relationships for all.

4

Tracking and analyzing all business generation that impacts compensation for partners and counsel and ensuring there is a fair and equitable distribution.

5

Conducting a pay equity analysis and making meaningful changes to remedy issues.

6

Tracking and analyzing non-billable activities, often called office housework, and making significant updates to remedy unequal distribution.

7

Having a formal process for lawyers to appeal origination credit allocation that is written and transparent.

8

Expressly including and welcoming all gender identity expressions on firms’ bathroom signage.

Discover more thought leadership specific to practice groups in the 2022 Inclusion Blueprint Practice Group Leadership Insights Report

Participants

Size of firms that participated: 1-50 U.S. lawyers of fewer (67) 51-100 U.S. lawyers (24) 101-200 U.S. lawyers (34) 201-400 U.S. lawyers (42) More than 500 U.S. lawyers (76)

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BECOME A PARTICIPANT

The most recent Inclusion Blueprint Assessment was released in January 2024. If your firm is interested in participating in future ones, 
please be in touch.