“How can I be a better ally?” This is a question we often hear at the Commission on Professionalism.
While the number of diverse attorneys from many communities has been growing slowly, uncivil lawyer-to-lawyer behavior tied to race, age, and sex has grown too. Moreover, members of many groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the legal profession have been shown to bear the brunt of workplace bullying.
A recent Commission study found bullying behavior is causing many lawyers to walk away from the profession, especially women lawyers, who were almost three times as likely as men to report leaving a job due to bullying (28% compared to 10%).
This is where allyship can come in. Michelle Silverthorn, an attorney, author, and Founder & CEO of Inclusion Nation, describes allyship as “an active and consistent effort to use your privilege and power to support and advocate for people with less privilege.”
Silverthorn spoke to attendees at the Commission’s 2024 Future Is Now: Legal Services conference about translating the intention to be a good ally into action. The conference was attended by more than 500 lawyers and other legal professionals from across the U.S.
Here are four questions the lawyers in our audience asked Silverthorn.
1. I want to be a better ally. Where do I start?
In considering how you can be a better ally to other lawyers, Silverthorn recommends considering things like:
- How diverse are my networks?
- Do I attend events for bar associations that represent a variety of communities?
- When I come across a career opportunity, do I consider recommending a diverse pool of candidates?
- Do I mentor and am I mentored by people from different backgrounds?
- Do the books I read, the legal sources I review, and the news outlets I follow reflect a diverse variety of perspectives?
- Do my choices reflect the diversity I’d like to see in my children’s lives and their children’s lives?
2. What should organizations look at when considering an allyship initiative?
Silverthorn recommends a four-step approach to assessing any inclusion-based workplace initiative:
- Does it have strategic value?
- Is it important for my organization?
- Is it feasible? (e.g., Is it something people can easily do?)
- Is it desirable? (e.g., Is it something people want to do?)
Importantly, she reminds organizations to remember the humanity behind their efforts.
“Do not forget that this it is about people. People are not widgets; they are not numbers. You can’t just say, if we do policy A then outcome B will happen. People are people, and we are messy. Just because you put something into place and expect a result, doesn’t mean it’s going to happen every time,” Silverthorn said.
3. How can legal organizations adapt their policies and practices to support allyship?
To start, Silverthorn said organizational leaders must identify and reflect on internal disparities. In other words, if you see members of different groups having different experiences in your organization, find out why.
What do people who aren’t getting promoted or are leaving your firm have in common? Consider if members of these groups have the same access to clients, whether they are socially connected to colleagues, or if certain perspectives aren’t well represented on your team.
“I’m not asking you to wholesale change entire systems, but what are one or two actions you can take to make your systems more inclusive?” she said.
For example, small changes to parental leave policies to make them more inclusive to all working parents.
In addition, consider how your organization supports these attorneys when they return to work. Do you offer a re-onboarding process to make the transition easier for lawyers and their colleagues?
“Start the conversation by asking [lawyers who are parents and] have returned to work what would have helped them in coming back. What would have supported them and what would they have wanted to see? Then, create policies based on that,” Silverthorn said.
4. What challenges might lawyers and legal organizations face when engaging in allyship?
Silverthorn said lawyers are often concerned that they will do something wrong or that their efforts aren’t helping.
If this happens, Silverthorn recommends considering the perspective of the person you are trying to support, and educating yourself on what actions could cause them to feel that way. Building trust with people can also help you understand how best to support them, she said.
On a systemic level, Silverthorn noted that making big changes in legal organizations takes time. However, there are small things organizations can start immediately, like being more intentional about succession planning and mentorship programs.
Hear more of Michelle Silverthorn’s Future Is Now talk in our free, online CLE, “From Intention to Action: Ten Rules for Allyship in the Legal Workplace” (1.0 hours of diversity and inclusion CLE credit in Illinois).
The 2025 Future Is Now: Legal Services conference will be held virtually on April 24, 2025. Click here to subscribe to conference updates.
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