[Dean's World] Scott Kirwin: Gay Lawyers Come Out of Closet

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Posted by Scott Kirwin:
Gay Lawyers Come Out of Closet
http://www.deanesmay.com/posts/1181246543.shtml


   [1]This is a bit of good news for those of us who support the
   integration of homosexuals into everyday life:

     The number of openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered
     lawyers increased by more than 50 percent from 2002 to 2006,
     according to the National Association for Law Placement.

     The Washington-based nonprofit group compiles an annual directory
     of data from about 700 large U.S. law firms. They reported 1,733
     openly gay lawyers in 2006, up from about 1,100 four years earlier.
     Openly gay lawyers represent 1.8 percent of associates and 1.1
     percent of partners.

     The increase is driven partly by corporate clients, says Jeff
     Morof, managing partner of Bryan Cave's Chicago office. More than a
     dozen have asked the firm for a commitment to diversity, which
     Bryan Cave defines as hiring without regard to race, religion,
     color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender
     identity or disability.

     `Attention to Diversity'

     ``In the last few years, clients are paying a lot more attention to
     diversity,'' says Morof, 52, who has recruited gays and lesbians
     since 1999 for Bryan Cave, which has 735 lawyers. ``We couldn't
     afford to go on doing business as usual.''

   This story reminded me of an incident from waaaay-back in my past - in
   the 1980s to be exact. The first gay person I ever met, "Jeff", was
   also a friend who turned out to be dating a distant relative of mine.
   The relation was a lawyer, and worse, a local politician who seriously
   freaked out when he heard from Jeff that I knew who he was and that he
   was gay.

   Jeff also turned out to be the first person I personally knew who died
   of AIDS. He wouldn't be the last, unfortunately.

   Still, good news. While St. Louis remains a conservative town, chances
   are that my relative and Jeff would have an easier time of it today.

References

   1. http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a7Hpqh9P9Vf4&refer=home