Thread by @TheWillTruth

BIPOC lawyer's dilemma (talked about this w/several in circle):

You see injustice/racism in work (place/society). Do you speak out/write/comment/show up?

Evaluate risk: Firm of WM/WW firm partners, be seen as not neutral/objective/activist/distracted/counter client interests.

Choice: You swallow your salty blood-tinged saliva. You make pro forma statement when asked by firm your thoughts in round table discussion. You message BIPOC friends in texts/messages expressing solidarity. You realize you have not shown up as authentic self within both spaces.

Yrs later you hope your historical silence but model minority advocacy (acting on positive stuff, diversity committees, feel good/back pat/raise up all work) gets you enough clout for you to be elevate to partner/get a judicial/board nomination or else focus on family.

Realize at that time within firm you are still seen as outsider, within social justice spaces you are seen as a privileged - 'talk the talk' but never 'walk the walk.' You struggle to connect with your craft, the language of your work so divorced from own culture/belief systems.

When you try and apply for those positions you struggle to find nominators. Your struggle to fit has broken down many of your collegial relationships and turned them into quick calls to solve only legal problems. You break off as a sole practitioner. Fight wars no one else takes.

You get a few accomplishments along way. Most of appellate work/big deal work goes up and elsewhere so you don't actually get recognized. The epitome of your career is a volunteer acknowledgement by some affinity group and seeing your mentees grow and do things you wish you did.

Don't mean to make this thread negative but just summarizing what I have heard in conversations + have been thinking myself as well. If anything it is a road map for route I want to avoid going on, even if I have to sacrifice certain privileges/financially beneficial outcomes.