Major law firms
increase recruiting efforts for gay attorneys

Recruiting efforts by large law firms for gay attorneys are on the rise. A robust legal market and declining law-school enrollment numbers are just part of the reason many large law firms are now searching out attorneys who are gay or members of other minority groups. According to the Law School Admission Council, 4.6% fewer students applied to law schools in 2005 than in the previous year. That drop in enrollment and pressure from corporate clients to diversify their staffs has sent large firms scrambling for new talent. The National Law Journal reports that many large firms have started outreach and benefits programs to gay attorneys. A 2005 survey by the Journal found that among the nation's 20 largest law firms, only five reported having any gay lawyers at all. The survey also found that among those five firms, only 1.8% of attorneys were openly gay. Historically, large law firms have a reputation for rigidity and a conservative atmosphere, two elements that advocates say make being out in the workplace difficult. (Sirius OutQ News)