Future of Talent: Retaining Diverse Attorneys

The “best and the brightest” lawyers in the junior ranks of the profession do not “look” like the ones at the top. According to the 2017 NALP Report on Diversity, minorities account for 8.4% of partners in the nation’s major firms. Women account for 22.7%.

Year after year, firms across the country neglect these demographics in the workplace, losing talent and new business ventures as a result. To create a more inclusive workforce and change the face of the legal profession, retention must become a priority for employers.

However, retaining diverse set of talent requires a different set of skills for most of the industry. Going forward, employers must put a greater emphasis on strategic talent development. As they do, they will reap its rewards, receiving a measurable return on investment for both bottom line and its employees.

Speaker Bio

Jane DiRenzo Pigott is Managing Director of R3 Group LLC and specializes in providing leadership, change and talent consulting to organizations. Her services enhance an organization’s competitive edge by allowing the organization to retain, develop and promote its key talent.

She approaches leadership, change and inclusion strategically and produces measurable results towards her clients’ goals and objectives. She also assists her clients, their practice and client teams and their affinity groups in implementing their strategic plans and providing professional and leadership development content to allow leverage for both their change efforts and their investments in talent. Her clients include professional service firms, corporations and family offices.

Before starting R3 Group, Jane practiced law for over twenty years – most recently at Winston & Strawn as the Chair of the global Environmental Law practice group, one of the largest global law firms. She was the first woman to serve on Winston’s Executive Management Committee and its Compensation Committee.  While there, Jane created and chaired the firm’s Diversity Initiative, rendering the firm a leader among its peers.