Mansfield focuses on equal treatment, equal opportunity, and equal access.
Our most recognized pilot, the Mansfield Rule began as a winning idea at Diversity Lab’s 2016 Women in Law Hackathon.
Mansfield is a structured certification process designed to ensure all talent at participating law firms and legal departments has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership.
The Mansfield Certification framework is a science-backed and data-driven solution that helps boost inclusivity, access, and diversity in leadership at participating law firms. To maintain its effectiveness, the standards for Certification continue to evolve based on data-backed insights.
of participating large law firms broadened the pool of talent considered for client pitch teams.
of large law firms increased discussions around lateral partner hiring inclusivity.
of Mansfield legal departments now have transparent internal advancement processes as a result of Certification.
of Mansfield legal departments now track internal talent pools for promotion because of Mansfield.
Mansfield helps ensure that all talent has an equal, fair, and equitable opportunity to advance into leadership through an intentional decision-making process informed by behavioral science.
Mansfield increases transparency and intentionality around law firm and legal department leadership and advancement processes. This openness benefits everyone.
Firms and legal departments commit to expanding talent pools to include at least 30% and 50% historically underrepresented lawyers, respectively, for leadership opportunities.
Step 1
As part of achieving Mansfield Certification, firms and legal departments increase clarity around opportunities. They articulate and internally publish job descriptions, expectations, and promotional paths. This greater transparency helps level the playing field for all.
Step 2
Firms and legal departments engage in Knowledge Sharing throughout the certification process, a crucial part of Mansfield. Research shows that working in a group is a better way to stay on track toward a larger goal because it creates peer group and third-party accountability.
Step 3
Firms and legal departments complete a series of check-ins with Diversity Lab to ensure they are on track to achieve Certification.
Step 4
At the end of the Certification period, firms and legal departments are required to submit an online Certification form that is signed by their managing partner or general counsel.
Step 5
As the Certification period ends, a new one begins. Firms and legal departments renew their participation in Mansfield year-over-year to ensure culture change at their organization and for the Mansfield community.
Step 6
Leadership Pipeline Tracking and Transparency: Prior to adopting the Mansfield Rule, only 12% of participating law firms tracked the demographic diversity of their leadership pipelines. Now, 100% of participating firms track who’s coming up through the ranks and whether they are all fairly considered for leadership activities and roles. Similarly, in participating legal departments, to ensure equal access for everyone:
Expanded Talent Pools on the Path to Leadership: The vast majority of participating law firms have reported broader talent pools are being considered for opportunities that impact leadership diversity:
Diversity in Leadership: Due to these improved talent practices, law firms that have been consistently Mansfield certified for over five years outpace non-Mansfield firms in diversifying their executive committees and equity partnerships. Learn more in this article, “Data Shows Mansfield Firms Are Adding Diverse Leaders Much Faster,” published by two data science academics.
For additional details on Mansfield’s quantitative and qualitative outcomes, see our Mansfield DEI resources.
As of 2024, there are 365+ US, Canadian, and UK law firms and 70+ legal departments participating in the certification process.
If you are interested in Mansfield Certification for law firms or legal departments, please reach out.
