Butler Snow LLP is proud to announce its Mansfield Rule Certification Plus achievement for the second year in a row. Presented by Diversity Lab, the Mansfield Rule aims to boost diversity in leadership through a structured certification process designed to ensure talent at all levels of participating law firms and legal departments offer equal leadership opportunities. More specifically, it focuses on diversifying the talent pool by facilitating transparent pathways to leadership regarding historically underrepresented groups in the legal profession. Continued participation in the Mansfield Rule and achievement of Certification Plus status presents an opportunity for Butler Snow to demonstrate an industry-leading commitment to furthering equity and inclusion.
Butler Snow began its participation in the Mansfield Rule 5.0 in 2021 and has since achieved Certification Plus Status for Mansfield Rule 5.0 and renewed participation for Mansfield Rule 6.0., reinforcing the firm’s commitment to increasing and sustaining a diverse and inclusive workforce at the firm and in the legal profession. Mansfield Rule 6.0, a yearlong endeavor and the most rigorous to date, brings a new opportunity for Butler Snow and 180+ other firms to diversify leadership and change longstanding embedded firm cultures. The 6.0 version requires law firms to consider at least 30% of historically underrepresented lawyers from all four groups when appointing to leadership roles and promoting into the equity partnership, among a dozen other activities that focus on the path to leadership. Firms must also consider 30% underrepresented talent for C-suite roles.
To achieve Mansfield Rule Certification Plus initially, Butler Snow collaborated with Diversity Lab over a 12-month Certification period with built-in measurement, transparency, and accountability mechanisms. It is a higher-level certification that analyzes the tangible efforts taken by participating firms. Mansfield aims to increase and sustain diversity in leadership within law firms by broadening the pool of women lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and underrepresented racial and/or ethnic lawyers who are considered for senior lateral attorney job openings, firm governance opportunities, equity partner promotions, and firm leadership positions. Firms must also create and publish job descriptions and appointment/election policies for leadership roles.
As a firm with diverse clients, it is crucial that Butler Snow accurately reflects this diversity within the workplace to foster an inclusive environment within the larger legal community. The firm’s recent renewal of the Mansfield Rule Certification Plus (2022-2023) reinforces the intentional steps toward effective change that Butler Snow continues to pursue across the organization.
Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas are created through its initiatives that are piloted in collaboration with more than 300 top law firms and legal departments across the country. Diversity Lab leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test the ideas, measure the results, and share the lessons learned with participating firms.