Introduction
The mandate to promote a diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession is central to the State Bar’s public protection mission. The State Bar partially fulfills this aspect of its mission by collecting and analyzing demographic and workplace experience data on licensed attorneys in California.
The 2023 Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession describes the demographic composition of California’s 2023 attorney population and analyzes changes in demographic representation since 2019, the first year the State Bar began collecting and reporting comprehensive attorney demographic data. The report also explores racial/ethnic and gender patterns in recent cohorts of attorneys admitted to the State Bar. New features in this year’s report include analyses on Latino and Asian subgroups among active attorneys and detailed reporting on the intersection of race/ethnicity and gender identity. The report also summarizes a recently published report that examined how the number of licensees in inactive status has changed over the last 10 years, the diversity among California attorneys who transfer to inactive status, and the reasons behind their decision. Finally, the report features a section describing a new State Bar program that recognizes employers committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within their workplaces.
Overall, the report shows that, while California’s legal profession has become increasingly diverse, the attorney population still does not reflect the state’s rich and varied diversity.
Additional findings that shed light on the current state of California’s attorney population include:
- Since 2019 (and in the case of veterans, since 2020), several groups of attorneys have seen a significant increase in their representation in California. These include Asian, multiracial, people of color, men of color, women of color, Asian women, LGBTQIA+, veterans, and attorneys with disabilities.
- Conversely, during the same period, there has been a decrease in the representation of men (overall), white men, and white women among all California attorneys.
- In 2023, women accounted for 56 percent of newly admitted attorneys to the State Bar, while people of color represented 55 percent—a record high for this population’s representation.
- In 1990, men and women of color comprised just 9 and 8 percent of newly admitted attorneys, respectively. Over time, the representation of women of color exceeded that of men of color; by 2023, women of color comprised 33 percent of newly admitted attorneys, while men of color comprised 21 percent. Women of color now constitute the largest group of newly admitted attorneys, a trend that started in 2021. Among women of color, the most substantial growth has been among Asian and multiracial women.
- The proportion of Asians among newly admitted attorneys has more than tripled since 1990, while the percentage of those identifying as multiracial has more than quadrupled. Similarly, the Latino representation among newly admitted attorneys has nearly tripled, and the percentage of newly licensed Black attorneys has nearly doubled over the same period.
- All nonwhite racial/ethnic groups experienced increased representation among newly admitted attorneys since 2019, except for American Indian/Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, who experienced a decline in newly admitted attorneys.
- The recent uptick in racial/ethnic diversity among attorneys admitted since 2019 is predominantly led by women, although the extent of this shift varies across different racial and ethnic groups. Notably, the representation of Asian and multiracial women has steadily increased, while Black women have seen a slight decline, although Black women’s representation remains higher than it was in 2019. Conversely, several groups of men of color—including Asian men, Black men, and multiracial men—experienced a slight decrease in representation in 2023 compared with the prior year, 2022.
- Approximately 4,600 attorneys on average transition to inactive status each year in California, effectively relinquishing their ability to practice law.
- With the exception of Black men and women, attorneys of color tend to be younger than their white counterparts when they transfer to inactive status. Notably, Asian, Eastern/North African, and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander women are among the youngest in this group.
- Retirement is a significant reason for transitioning to inactive status, cited by over half of those making the switch. However, nearly 43 percent indicate that retirement is not their motive, particularly among women and attorneys of color, signaling a deliberate departure from active law practice.
- In 2023, both white men and white women are overrepresented among those transitioning to inactive status. The analyses suggests that age and retirement plans are contributing factors, particularly for white men.
- The most frequently cited factor influencing the decision to transition to inactive status in 2023 was “alternative work schedules/flexible hours,” chosen by attorneys across gender and racial lines. However, “diverse colleagues/networks” was the most cited factor for Black attorneys. Other reasons described by all attorneys include practicing law in different states, leaving the legal profession altogether, seeking a career change, and personal reasons related to family and health.