Overview
CRA’s Labor economists advised counsel to a full-service law firm in conducting a firm-wide pay equity review focused on race/ethnicity and gender. The engagement examined compensation practices across attorneys, legal secretaries, paralegals, and other staff, and was designed to assess equity in pay outcomes while supporting the firm’s broader diversity, equity, and inclusion objectives.
Scope of work
CRA’s team met with pay-setters and decision-makers, collected and reviewed workforce and compensation data, and analyzed multiple years of fixed and total compensation. For attorneys, the analysis incorporated key productivity measures, including hours billed and origination credit. Upon completing the statistical analyses, the team further evaluated compensation patterns across and within years, examined group differences in attorney productivity measures, and developed materials to support cohort-level and individual compensation reviews by firm leadership.
Results and ongoing support
The economists’ findings helped decision-makers identify and evaluate potential compensation disparities and monitor the effectiveness of the firm’s pay practices. Following the initial audit, CRA has periodically reanalyzed the firm’s pay equity and discrimination metrics to assess changes over time and help ensure the continued maintenance of the firm’s equity objectives and compensation practices.
