Speaking Up About Diversity by Denelle J. Waynick

Winter 2008

When I interviewed for one of my previous jobs in the legal profession, I asked the interviewing partner how many people at the firm looked like me. His face turned bright red. Later, he said, "You need to be on our recruiting committee, because I was embarrassed and we need to address this issue." I really admired that partner for his forthrightness—it told me a lot about his character that he could get past his discomfort and move on to a concrete solution. It is no coincidence that he has been a mentor to me ever since.

This experience is why I always ask prospective employers about their positions on diversity. My purpose is not to make anyone uncomfortable, or to eliminate companies or firms that have not achieved ideal diversity. I make these inquiries because, as an African-American woman, I need to know where prospective employers stand on diversity and how they approach this conversation.

Asking provocative questions about such a sensitive topic might seem like a risky move for a young attorney, but I have found that being vocal about diversity has benefited my career. My directness has given me a platform that many of my other colleagues have not had. At every law firm and corporation where I have practiced, I have been part of the recruiting and diversity committees. This has given me the opportunity to speak with my bosses about the importance of bringing people like me into the hiring process.

Interviewing is a two-way street: employers are also being interviewed, and their inclination and capacity to present a diverse slate of recruiters conveys a message. Realization of this fact is vital to the successful growth of law firms and in-house legal departments. Although there has been progress, the complexion of law firms and in-house legal departments still does not mirror the population in law schools. Young attorneys want to work in places where they will feel comfortable, will be given the opportunity to grow and succeed, and will have mentors available to them who have similar backgrounds. The most attractive organizations for diverse attorneys are those organizations that include other diverse attorneys.

Although recruitment of diverse attorneys is important to the success of law firms and in-house legal departments, it is only the first step. Legal employers must also find compelling reasons for diverse attorneys to stay. If those attorneys do not receive the training that they need to succeed and proper recognition for that success, they will eventually leave. That exodus, in turn, becomes a recruiting problem all over again—applicants notice when no one who looks like them is moving to the higher levels, and applicants are less likely to want to work at an organization that cannot provide them mentors of similar backgrounds who have achieved success within the organization.

Young attorneys should not be shy about speaking up about diversity issues. If an employer’s diversity situation is less than ideal, do not be discouraged from working there. But do pay close attention to the responses your diversity questions receive—they will tell you a lot. If, all those years ago, I had not confronted that interviewing partner on his firm’s position on diversity, and had he not been upfront and honest with me about his firm’s diversity problems, we both would have missed out on a very rewarding working relationship.

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Denelle Waynick is Senior Corporate Counsel at Watson Pharmaceuticals. She was previously the Chief of Staff with the Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey.

She has been active on diversity committees during her tenures at Schering-Plough, where she was the Legal Director, Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger & Vecchione, where she was a partner, and at Paul, Hastings Janofsky & Walker. She is a 1991 graduate of Howard University School of Law.