Greensfelder Joins Mansfield Rule Program to Boost Legal Diversity
Greensfelder is pleased to announce it has joined Diversity Lab’s new Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification process, which will allow the firm to be designated a Mansfield-certified firm upon completion. Mansfield-certified law firms are those that have demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and boosting the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in firm leadership.
Greensfelder’s Midsize Mansfield Rule process launched on September 15, 2021. The firm is participating in just the second iteration of the program for midsize firms, after a successful pilot program started in 2020. The Midsize Mansfield certification process is modeled after the version for the largest law firms but has been fine-tuned to boost diversity in leadership for midsize firms with leaner leadership structures. Greensfelder joins more than 70 firms that will work toward certification over the next 18 months, concluding in March 2023.
“This is an exciting and innovative national initiative that we hope will foster meaningful positive change,” Greensfelder President and CEO Kevin T. McLaughlin said. “Our efforts to earn this distinction are in alignment with the firm’s core values and ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It will also make us stronger as an organization and better positioned to meet our clients’ needs in the coming years.”
The Mansfield Rule aims to increase the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in firm leadership by broadening the candidate pools for those roles. Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered a certain threshold of women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities for leadership roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.
Firms that successfully complete the Midsize Mansfield Rule criteria will have the opportunity to participate in Mansfield Rule Client Forums in 2023 to build relationships with and learn from Diversity Lab’s in-house counsel collaborators.
Greensfelder Chief Diversity Officer Chris Pickett, Diversity & Inclusion Manager Carmen White and the firm's Equity, Retention and Advancement Committee are charged with leading the firm's initiatives to foster an inclusive, diverse workplace. For more on the firm’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, please visit greensfelder.com/about-diversity.html.
Read more about the Midsize Mansfield Rule and Diversity Lab at diversitylab.com/pilot-projects/mansfield_midsize/.