Seyfarth Earns Mansfield 2.0 Certification from Diversity Lab

Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced today that it has again earned Mansfield Certification from Diversity Lab after completing the Mansfield Rule 2.0 12-month certification program.

The Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, LGBTQ+ and attorneys of color for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and senior lateral positions.

Mansfield Rule 2.0, the next iteration of the Rule, launched July 16, 2018 and included LGBTQ+ lawyers in addition to women and attorneys of color. Also new, Mansfield 2.0 measures consideration for participation in client pitch meetings and request that participating law firms make appointment and election processes transparent to all lawyers in their firms. After finishing the inaugural one-year Mansfield Rule pilot in 2018, the firm earned Mansfield Certification ‘Plus’ rating from Diversity Lab.

Named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States, the Mansfield Rule is a variation of the NFL’s “Rooney Rule.” The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities.

“The firm is thrilled to achieve Mansfield Certification once again following the second year of its pilot program. Our team worked tirelessly to continue implementing initiatives reflective of Seyfarth’s strong commitment to inclusion and diversity,” said Kori Carew, chief inclusion & diversity officer at Seyfarth Shaw. “As an early adopter of the Rooney Rule, the firm is proud to celebrate this notable accomplishment as we remain steadfast in our execution of these inclusive polices shaping our workplace.”

As part of Seyfarth’s commitment to inclusion and diversity and its focus on continuous improvement in this area, the firm has agreed to participate in the 3.0 iteration of the Mansfield Rule, which runs from July 2019 to July 2020, with 99 law firms. New for this version, Mansfield 3.0 will include lawyers with disabilities as well as women, lawyers of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyers as part of the diverse candidate pool.

A recognized industry leader in law firm diversity, Seyfarth was recently shortlisted for the 2019 Chambers USA Diversity & Inclusion Awards. Notably, the firm was nominated for Outstanding Diversity & Inclusion Program in recognition of Seyfarth’s own “Rooney Rule” initiative. Inspired by the NFL and launched in early 2016, this program has helped improve the hiring of diverse candidates across the firm.

The Mansfield Rule was one of the winning ideas from the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon hosted by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Bloomberg Law and Stanford Law School. Diversity Lab creates and experiments with innovative ways to close the gender gap and boost diversity in law firms and legal departments by leveraging data, behavioral science, and design thinking. To learn more about Mansfield Certification click here.