State Bar Releases 2026 Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession

The State Bar’s 2026 Report Card on the Diversity of California’s Legal Profession, released today, describes the demographics of California’s active licensees, with a closer look at the 7,000 newly admitted in the past year. It also presents results from the 2026 Attorney Workplace Satisfaction Survey, which includes new questions on caregiving responsibilities and artificial intelligence (AI) use in legal work.

Although substantial disparities remain, California’s attorneys continue to become more representative of the state population, with newly admitted attorneys the primary driver of this gradual progress.

However, these gains in representation have not brought matching gains in workplace experience: Women of color, the fastest-growing group among new attorneys, report the lowest workplace satisfaction and most frequently report barriers to inclusion.

“All attorneys need workplaces where they can thrive, advance, and lead,” said State Bar Executive Director Laura Enderton-Speed. “Newly admitted attorneys continue to be more diverse than ever, but this year’s Report Card and Workplace Satisfaction Survey make clear that representation alone is not enough. We urge both employers and attorneys to identify barriers, improve organizational practices, and mentor and promote a legal profession that fosters growth, well-being, and opportunity for all.”

For the first time, the report compares California’s attorneys with college-educated California adults, a closer comparison group than all adults because a bachelor’s degree is typically required for law school.

Highlights of the report’s findings include the following:

White attorneys are the most overrepresented racial/ethnic group, at 62 percent of California’s attorneys but 35 percent of California adults. Since 2021, the share of white attorneys has steadily declined, while the shares of most nonwhite racial/ethnic groups have grown.
Women and people of color reached all-time highs among newly admitted attorneys in 2026, at 58 percent and 60 percent of the cohort, respectively, up from 3 percent and 6 percent in 1970. Women of color have been the largest group among newly admitted attorneys since 2021.
Since 1990, gains for women among newly admitted attorneys outpaced gains for men across most racial/ethnic groups. Multiracial women’s share grew more than sevenfold, Asian women’s more than fivefold, and Latino women’s quadrupled.
Newly admitted attorneys are more diverse than the active attorney population in almost every dimension, including Asian attorneys (22 percent compared with 15 percent), Latino attorneys (12 percent compared with 7 percent), multiracial attorneys (16 percent compared with 9 percent), and women of color (37 percent compared with 21 percent).
Latinos remain the most underrepresented group, at 38 percent of California adults but 7 percent of attorneys. The gaps for Latino and Black attorneys are narrower when attorneys are compared with college-educated adults, which suggests that much of the underrepresentation arises before law school and in access to higher education.
Veterans and LGBTQIA+ attorneys are represented at rates comparable to statewide estimates.

Workplace Satisfaction Survey findings

Approximately 6,200 attorneys, 3 percent of the active population, completed the survey in April 2026. Among its findings:

Women of color remain the least represented group among law firm partners and shareholders (12 percent).
White men (53 percent) and men of color (50 percent) are more likely than white women (42 percent) and women of color (39 percent) to report annual compensation of $200,000 or more.
Women of color report the lowest workplace satisfaction and white men the highest, consistent with 2021 survey findings. Early-career attorneys, those licensed for three years or less, report lower satisfaction than the full survey sample in every domain.
Women of color report at least one workplace barrier to inclusion at more than twice the rate of white men (46 percent compared with 22 percent), and these barriers persist beyond the early years of practice.
Women who are caregivers are far more likely than men (56 percent compared with 35 percent) to report negative career impacts from caregiving, a gap that holds even among primary caregivers.
Most attorneys (75 percent) report using AI tools, and 64 percent agree that “AI will fundamentally transform how legal work is performed.” At the same time, 52 percent agree that the use of AI to spread disinformation makes their work as a lawyer more difficult, and 45 percent agree that AI-driven tools are inaccurate and unreliable.
Men of color and white women sit at opposite ends of attorney sentiment about AI, with men of color reporting the highest agreement with positive statements about AI’s benefits (54 percent) and the lowest with negative statements about its risks (32 percent). White women are the only group that agrees more with the negative statements (41 percent) than the positive (36 percent).
Attorneys with disabilities report lower overall workplace satisfaction than all surveyed attorneys (64 percent versus 71 percent) and are more likely to report at least one workplace barrier to inclusion (42 percent versus 32 percent).

Looking ahead

The report also includes calls to action for attorneys and employers. In addition, the report highlights the DEI Leadership Seal program, launched in 2023, which recognizes employers that commit to and implement research-driven actions that further workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. The State Bar of California is among the participants recognized at the Gold tier.

A forthcoming study of attorneys who transfer to inactive status will examine who leaves active practice before retirement age, when, and whether some groups leave earlier or at higher rates than others, to better understand what drives these decisions and to inform initiatives that address them. In the coming weeks, an interactive dashboard for the 2026 Diversity Report Card will be launched, providing users with a deeper understanding of the report’s findings.

###

Follow the State Bar online
LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The State Bar of California’s mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.