local San Francisco law firm was under fire this week for its perceived discriminatory hiring practices which allegedly tend to favour whites. The firm of Kerr & Wagstaffe, which was established by a U.C. Hastings law professor James Wagstaffe, was the topic of an intense discussion and scorn among law students and faculty alike on campus during the week. The controversy begun Tuesday, when an electronic petition was circulated at Hasting College of the Law, a school which is part of the University of California system, concerning the lack of racial, ethnic and gender diversity within the firm’s attorneys. The On-line petition accuses the law firm as being a “White Shoe” firm as out of the ten attorneys currently employed nine are “white”, six out of the seven partners are males , and the only associates are young and attractive white females. While opinions on the campus were mixed, many expressed disappointment and surprise by the firm’s lack of diversity. “If I compare the background of the students at the school, to that of the firm, I cannot square those figures” said a student who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. “I will definitely sign the petition, and make sure I do not take a class with Prof. Wagstaffe as the teacher”. A law professor who also asked not to be identified was not surprised by the situation and referred to the situation as “typical”. “While the petition has merit, people forget that lawyers and judges are human too” he said. The full text of the petition can be found online at:
More about Mr. James M. Wagstaffe:
Adjunct Professor James M. Wagstaffe, a partner of Kerr & Wagstaffe LLP, specializes in defamation, privacy and intellectual property litigation. Professor Wagstaffe handles diverse cases in California courts and federal courts throughout the country. Professor Wagstaffe received his B.A. degree in communications, with distinction, from Stanford University in 1977. While at Stanford, he was National Collegiate Speaking Champion, DSR-TKA Persuasive Speaking, and winner of the Medaille Voltaire-82nd Annual Berkeley-Stanford Debate in 1976. He received his J.D. degree in 1980 from Hastings College of the Law, where he was the David E. Snodgrass Moot Court Award Winner (Best Overall Oral Argument and Brief) and a champion in the National Moot Court Competition (Best Brief in the Western Region). After clerking for U.S. District Court Judge Spencer Williams, Professor Wagstaffe first became associated with Cooper, White & Cooper in 1982. For the period from 1986 to 1990, he was a partner of the law firm of Kaus, Kerr & Wagstaffe. Professor Wagstaffe has developed a speciality in defending against libel, privacy and related claims. He defended The New Yorker Magazine in its nationally prominent and successful trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. Professor Wagstaffe has also successfully represented numerous other parties at the trial and appellate levels, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Billboard Magazine, The Sacramento Union, and the California Newspaper Publishers Association.
local San Francisco law firm was under fire this week for its perceived discriminatory hiring practices which allegedly tend to favour whites. The firm of Kerr & Wagstaffe, which was established by a U.C. Hastings law professor James Wagstaffe, was the topic of an intense discussion and scorn among law students and faculty alike on campus during the week. The controversy begun Tuesday, when an electronic petition was circulated at Hasting College of the Law, a school which is part of the University of California system, concerning the lack of racial, ethnic and gender diversity within the firm’s attorneys. The On-line petition accuses the law firm as being a “White Shoe” firm as out of the ten attorneys currently employed nine are “white”, six out of the seven partners are males , and the only associates are young and attractive white females. While opinions on the campus were mixed, many expressed disappointment and surprise by the firm’s lack of diversity. “If I compare the background of the students at the school, to that of the firm, I cannot square those figures” said a student who asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. “I will definitely sign the petition, and make sure I do not take a class with Prof. Wagstaffe as the teacher”. A law professor who also asked not to be identified was not surprised by the situation and referred to the situation as “typical”. “While the petition has merit, people forget that lawyers and judges are human too” he said. The full text of the petition can be found online at:
