Moving Beyond the Partner Track

There is a pervasive belief in the United States th at if you work hard, you will succeed. Many attorneys, particularly min ority associates, have internalized this ethos by putting their heads down and racking up billable hours, despite narratives that suggest hard work is far from sufficient for advancement. The Partner Track, a novel by Chinese-American attorney Helen Wan, explores the complexities of this dynami c in the context of a major Manhattan law firm. As she tells the story of Ingrid Yung, a ChineseAmerican attorney on the cusp of partnership, Wan r ecognizes that promotion of an Asian woman to partner is unlikely in major law firms, and that promotion in and of itself is not wholly t he result of nor does it result in curing the obstacles faced by minority as sociates and partners. Her narrative suggests that firms could substantively s upport minority attorneys with initiatives that address underlying racial an d gender dynamics. Reoriented diversity programs could more consciously address those dynamics by instituting more comprehensive me ntorship for incoming minority attorneys; more than that, such p rograms could attract affluent clients and so facilitate profit-making an d firm growth, in addition to making marked improvements for minorities. The Partner Track begins with Ingrid as a senior associate advancing toward partnership at the fictional preeminent law firm Parsons Valentine. After years of high-quality work and assurances fro m senior partners, she expects a partnership offer within the year. 2 Other women who joined Parsons Valentine with Ingrid left to start familie s and embark on other ventures, but she persisted. 3 Ingrid is pushed forward by the expectations of