The leadership in law does not currently reflect society or even law school students, so we’re bringing the legal profession together to pioneer new methods that create leadership opportunities for all. What we’re doing works, and we have the data to prove it.
Through our innovative pilots, Diversity Lab has:
Designed and tested 20+ “bias interrupters” with the four Move the Needle Fund law firms focused on increasing inclusion and equity in talent practices, nearly half of the pilots will be expanded into the broader marketplace over the next few years. Through Move the Needle, Diversity Lab has:
Reimagined sponsorship by piloting a client-driven, coach-supported framework to ensure 90+ underrepresented junior partners have equitable access to pitch practice, feedback, and client generation, which has resulted in an estimated $3 million in business generated by these partners.
Tested a science-driven approach, known as the AV Club, to raise awareness, increase proximity, and foster empathy among colleagues — three proven ways to reduce unconscious bias — with a dozen law firms and legal departments, impacting more than 1000 lawyers.
Partnered with a Move the Needle Fund law firm to create and leverage a Client Team Analysis and Dashboard, updated quarterly, for 40 of the firm’s top clients to continuously assess, monitor, and improve the inclusivity of their outside counsel teams proactively for the benefit of their talent and clients.
Measured the satisfaction, inclusion, and belonging of 3500+ lawyers and pinpointed areas of improvement through a science-based Inclusion & Belonging Assessment designed for law firms.
Partnered with a Move the Needle Fund law firm to develop and test an award-winning tech tool and framework to build inclusive teams, specifically designed for hybrid workplaces, that is positively impacting workflow for 800+ lawyers across 12 practice groups and 10 offices.
Replenished the pipeline to leadership with 115+ women lawyers — 1/3 of whom are women of color — in 40+ legal organizations through the OnRamp Fellowship.
Designed and tested 20+ “bias interrupters” with the four Move the Needle Fund law firms focused on increasing inclusion and equity in talent practices. Nearly half of the pilots will be expanded into the broader marketplace over the next few years. Through the Move the Needle Fund, Diversity Lab has:
Reimagined sponsorship by piloting a client-driven, coach-supported framework to ensure 90+ underrepresented junior partners have equitable access to pitch practice, feedback, and client generation. This has resulted in an estimated $3 million in business generated by these partners.
Tested a science-driven approach, known as the DEI AV Club, to raise awareness, increase proximity, and foster empathy among colleagues — three proven ways to reduce unconscious bias — with a dozen law firms and legal departments, impacting more than 1,000 lawyers.
Partnered with a Move the Needle Fund law firm to create and leverage a Client Team Analysis and Dashboard, updated quarterly, for 40 of the firm’s top clients to continuously assess, monitor, and improve the inclusivity of their outside counsel teams proactively for the benefit of their talent and clients.
Measured the satisfaction, inclusion, and belonging of 3,500+ lawyers and pinpointed areas of improvement through a science-based Inclusion & Belonging Assessment designed for law firms.
Partnered with a Move the Needle Fund law firm to develop and test an award-winning tech tool and framework to build inclusive teams, specifically designed for hybrid workplaces, that is positively impacting workflow for 800+ lawyers across 12 practice groups and 10 offices.
Collaborated with 40+ legal departments to measure and boost inclusion on their outside counsel teams, impacting 13,667 lawyers across 620 client teams from 320 firms via the Diversity Dividends Collective.
Increased accountability and transparency to ensure fair and equitable paths to leadership in 350+ firms and 80+ legal departments through the Mansfield Certification.
Diversified leadership through the Mansfield Rule. Data shows that the Mansfield early adopter firms — those committed for five or more years — are diversifying leadership at a faster rate than they were pre-Mansfield and outpacing non-Mansfield firms. The chart below, published as part of The American Lawyer article, “Data Shows Mansfield Firms are Adding Diverse Leaders Much Faster,” illustrates the early results:
Through Knowledge Sharing among our 450+ law firm and legal departments, Diversity Lab has:
Provided learning to 2000+ legal profession leaders through a series of webinars on the most impactful inclusive talent practices uncovered through an analysis of the Inclusion Blueprint.
Set the standard for disability inclusion, with 100+ law firms having committed to one or more of the actions listed in the Disability Inclusion Commitments.
Brought 600+ law firm partners and legal departments together, leading to an estimated $3–$5 million in new and expanded work for underrepresented lawyers through Mansfield Client Forums.
Shared best practices for cultivating inclusive and equitable talent management practices through 150+ Mansfield Knowledge Sharing Meetings with 15,000+ law firm and legal department leaders over 5 years.
Connected 550+ legal department leaders to a diverse slate of 250+ law firm partners through the Diverse Leadership Directory.
Contact us if you are a law firm or legal department leader who is willing to invest in systemic change to diversify your workplace.