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Letter to the Editor: Harsh and Inaccurate Alan Jenkins's article "Losing the Race" [October] serves a useful purpose in drawing attention to the disappointing record of many law firms in retaining and promoting black lawyers. As noted in the article, Cleary, Gottlieb has been actively involved for many years in building a diverse professional organization, and we take pride in the many outstanding lawyers of color within our community. The great strength of Cleary, Gottlieb has been and will continue to be the exceptional talent and creativity of our lawyers, and we know that the expanding diversity in our ranks will continue to benefit and strengthen our firm. We are committed to these goals, and we will continue to learn and grow from our experiences. Jenkins understands that the issues he addresses affect the legal profession as a whole and require the attention of the entire profession. In its specific focus on our firm, however, the article is unjustifiably harsh and inaccurate in a number of respects. Most disturbing is the insulting and inappropriate treatment of our partner Carmen Corrales. Carmen is a highly regarded securities lawyer, elected to the partnership in 1998; she was elected on the merits without regard to whether she was black or white. The suggestion that she "let it be known" that she is black only after her admission to the partnership is wholly inaccurate and offensive. Carmen identified herself as a black lawyer upon joining the firm as an associate in 1990, and has been so reported since that date on all forms that require the identification of race.
Peter Karasz
Editor's note: Karasz is Cleary's managing partner. Return to www.americanlawyer.com |