Still, Paul, Weiss is no exception to the broader pattern across big law: the share of partners who are women and people of color is much smaller than the number reflected in the ranks of associates, or those starting law school, not to mention the general population.

“I fear that African-American partners in big law are becoming an endangered species,” said Theodore V. Wells Jr., a black partner at Paul, Weiss and one of the country’s most prominent litigators.

The LinkedIn image was a stark illustration of what can happen when promotion decisions are relationship-driven and concentrated in the hands of white-male rainmakers, even in workplaces with a commitment to diversity.

“If you’re arguing that you’re better than most firms, it’s not a good argument,” said Tsedale Melaku, a sociologist at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York who studies law firms. “Because most firms have a very difficult time actually bringing real diversity and inclusion into those spaces.”

Diversity remains an unfulfilled promised in a variety of elite industries, including tech and finance as well as at big media companies like The New York Times.

More than 20 women and people of color interviewed for this article described obstacles to achieving diversity at Paul, Weiss. Many said that opportunities to be groomed for partner are harder to come by for women and minorities. Even as their work shined, some said, they failed to break into the good graces and social circles of the firm’s top lawyers, who must champion those hoping to earn a lucrative spot as a partner.

“There are white males at the firm that are visibly being given more time in business development opportunities and client contact,” said a female minority lawyer at Paul, Weiss who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. “They’re clearly being cultivated.”