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Diverse Lawyers:

How In-House Counsel Can attraCt DIverse talent

By Julie Sobowale

Stuart Pixley was struggling. Along with senior counsel, he was
negotiating a business deal for a client. Usually Pixley could hide his
hearing loss by reading lips, but this time, with everyone sitting so
far apart in the boardroom, he couldn’t see people’s faces clearly.
“I should’ve just asked for them to repeat what they said,” he says.
“But the partner said that if we asked the client to say something
again, they would think we’re taking too much time.”

ixley decided he wanted to work in a more inclusive en- in fve in-house lawyers are visible minorities. Six percent of
vironment; for him, that meant looking outside of pri- in-house counsel are Chinese, 5% are South Asian, and 4% are
Pvate practice. He began working at Microsoft in 2008 as African-Canadian/African/Caribbean, compared to 4%, 3%
Senior Attorney on its Antitrust Compliance Team, and, more and 2%, respectively, in 2017. One percent identify as First Na-
than a decade later, he is now working in its Quantum and Sili- tions, 2% Métis and 5% have a disability.
con Systems Futures Group. Inclusion, however, is a different story. This measures how
“In BigLaw, I didn’t see lawyers with disabilities,” he explains. comfortable people feel in their work environment and whether
“With in-house, there are other people with disabilities in the the workplace is accommodating.
department and part of the company-wide community. I like For instance, can co-workers bring an ethnic dish to work
connecting with the disability community.” without worrying about people being bothered by the smell?
In-house counsel have the opportunity to lead the legal in- Do they feel comfortable asking for a special chair or desk be-
dustry in promoting diversity and inclusion. While the focus cause of a physical disability? Are they okay asking to leave work
in the last few years has been to push external counsel to have early to care for a sick child?
more diverse legal teams, legal departments still have work to Perception is a major factor in accommodation. When Pixley
do as well. In-house counsel need to go further, leading by ex- was working in private practice, he remembers not being asked
ample and hiring more diverse lawyers internally. to go golfng with his co-workers. Pixley, who uses an electric
Before diving into the issues surrounding diversity and in- wheelchair due to his cerebral palsy and no functional vision in
clusion, it is good to be clear about what this means. Diversity one eye, believed he was not asked because he did not look like
is about statistics and having a mix of people that match the a “typical lawyer.”
population. The CCCA’s 2018 In-House Counsel Compensa- “When people think of lawyers, they think of people on the
tion and Career Survey shows progress in gender and diversity. TV show ‘Suits,’” says Pixley. “Those characters walk and talk
For the frst time, women outnumber men, 51% to 48%. One and look in a particular way. I don’t exactly ft that mold.”

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