It wasn’t that long ago that the practice of law was largely the preserve of white males, wrote columnist Jim Middlemiss in the National Post July 21. While they still dominate the ranks of partners at large law firms, the reality is that the face of those practising law is changing – at least in Ontario.

In fact, a report for the Ontario legal regulator, the Law Society of Upper Canada, says it’s changing “dramatically”. What isn’t changing though is the ability of women and visible minorities to crack the pay scale to the same extent as white males.

Ironically, the research is based on the 2006 long-form census, which the federal government wants to modify by increasing the number of long forms sent to people, but eliminating the mandatory nature of replying. The proposed changes have caused a ruckus in Ottawa [and with York faculty members].

The study by Michael Ornstein, a sociology professor in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies and director of the Institute for Social Research, shows the value of the long-form census for researchers. His report found there has been a “dramatic increase” in the number of lawyers who are visible minorities. Today they make up 11.5 per cent of lawyers practising in Ontario, compared with 9.2 per cent in 2001. That’s still well below the 23 per cent of the population provincially that comprises minorities, and below the 30 per cent of those with university degrees, suggesting there’s still a long way to go.

Ornstein’s report says the “progress of visible minority lawyers can be seen in the dramatic increases in the percentage of lawyers between the ages of 25 and 34.” While in 1981 they accounted for two per cent of the profession, today they account for 20 per cent. “This trend will continue as older, predominantly white lawyers retire,” Ornstein writes in his April report.

Republished courtesy of YFile– York University’s daily e-bulletin.