ABA JOURNAL — The percentage of summer associates of color in major U.S. law firms increased by nearly 5 percentage points in 2021, increasing to 41.34%, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association for Law Placement. The gain is the largest in the 29 years that the NALP has tracked the information, according to a press release from the NALP and the report, titled 2021 Report on Diversity in U.S. Law Firms. Representation of women and LGBTQ people also increased in the summer associate ranks. The percentage of summer associates who are women increased by 1.4 percentage points to 55.06%. It’s the fourth year in a row that women have accounted for more than half of summer associates. The percentage of LGBTQ summer associates increased by nearly a percentage point, reaching 8.41% in 2021. “Without doubt, this summer associate class was the most diverse ever measured in every way, and it holds the promise of a law firm world that is truly more diverse, equitable and inclusive,” said James Leipold, executive director of the NALP, in the report.