Seyfarth Achieves Mansfield 5.0 Certification Plus from Diversity Lab

Seyfarth announced today it has again achieved Mansfield Certification Plus from Diversity Lab after completing the Mansfield Rule 5.0 12-month certification program.

The Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30% women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. Mansfield Certification Plus status indicates that, besides meeting or exceeding the baseline certification requirements, the firms have successfully reached at least 30% underrepresented lawyer representation in a notable number of their current leadership roles.

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 Mansfield Rule tries to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities.

“Being Mansfield certified helps us measure how we’re doing in cultivating an inclusive workplace,” said Kori S. Carew, Esq., Seyfarth’s chief inclusion & diversity officer. “We’re proud that Seyfarth has earned the Mansfield Certification every year since its inception. It reflects our commitment and helps keep us focused on further strengthening our culture of inclusion and belonging.”

Seyfarth earlier announced its participation in the 6.0 iteration of Diversity Lab's Mansfield Rule, which runs from July 2022 to July 2023. Seyfarth joins other “early adopter” firms that have increased the racial and ethnic diversity of its management committees by 30 times the rate of non-Mansfield Rule firms. Notably, over 70% of Seyfarth’s executive committee members are lawyers from underrepresented groups.

A recognized industry leader in law firm inclusion and diversity, Seyfarth has instituted several award-winning programs designed to cultivate and retain underrepresented groups. The firm launched its own “Rooney Presumption” initiative in 2016, inspired by the NFL, which has helped improve the hiring of diverse candidates across the firm. To learn more about Seyfarth’s commitment to inclusion and belonging, visit here.

The Mansfield Rule was one of the winning ideas from the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon. Seyfarth was an active participant in the 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 6.0 Certification click here.