Personal Reflection. Diversity and the future of advocacy

• Author: Iman Abokor and M. Greg
• Profession: Abogado
• Pages: 321-327

321

R PERSONAL REFLECTION | INTER 2013

Diversity an the future f avcacy

IMAN ABOKOR AND M. GREG ABOGADO

As we commemorate The Advocates’ Society’s 50th anni-

versary, it is important to address the issue of diversity in the

legal profession. Diversity will inform the future of advocacy as

the face of the advocate continues to reect Canada’s changing demo-

graphics. Diversity, in all its manifestations, has received much atten-

tion in recent years. There have been some notable eorts in the legal

community to promote diversity, including diversity committees at law

rms, diversity working groups at professional associations and an

increased consciousness of diversity in judicial appointments. What is

less clear, however, is the connection between diversity and the working

lives of everyday lawyers. When we arrive at work in the morning, we

do not think about how we can make the legal profession more diverse;

rather, our focus is on how we can best serve our clients. Certainly when

diversity in the legal profession is mentioned, we nod in approval. No

one denies that diversity as a concept is a good thing. But the belief

that diversity is key to law rms’ success is a leap that we as a profes-

sion have not yet made. What will change in the next 20 or so years? In

this article we argue that Canadian corporations will give much more

weight to law rm diversity because they will realize that law rms that

are more diverse will deliver better legal services. Simply put, diversity

will be good for business. We focus on racialized communities (visible