Blank Rome LLP is proud to announce that the Firm has achieved Mansfield Certification after successfully completing Diversity Lab’s inaugural one-year Mansfield Rule pilot program. The certification recognizes 41 “trailblazing law firms” participating in the Mansfield Rule that have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women and attorneys of color for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and senior lateral positions, to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership.
“We are honored to receive Mansfield Certification following our participation in this important pilot program and diversity initiative,” said Alan J. Hoffman, Chairman and Managing Partner at Blank Rome. “Our Firm has a longstanding commitment of participation in Diversity Lab’s diversity and inclusion initiatives, starting with the OnRamp Fellowship program in 2014 and continuing with the inaugural Women in Law Hackathon and Women in Law Hackathon Alliance in 2016. And, last month, we proudly announced our partnership in the Mansfield Rule 2.0 program. Such initiatives are critical to the successful growth of law firms today, and Blank Rome welcomes the opportunity to get involved and make a real and meaningful impact in the legal industry.”
According to Diversity Lab’s press release announcing the firms that have achieved Mansfield Certification, one of the favorable outcomes of the inaugural Mansfield Rule is the significant surge in firms that now track and measure their candidate pipelines. Additionally, there is a reported incremental increase in diverse candidates considered for leadership roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral hiring by firms that tracked their pipelines prior to adopting the Mansfield Rule. Lisa Kirby, Director of Research & Knowledge Sharing at Diversity Lab, further stated in the press release that tracking candidate pipelines for “every single path that leads to leadership” as well as increasing the diversity of these pipelines is a positive step towards diversifying law firms’ next generation of leaders.
“The Mansfield Rule directly aligns with our Firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts and goals,” added Christopher A. Lewis, Partner and Chief Officer of Diversity and Inclusion at Blank Rome. “We place a tremendous value on cultivating and promoting our diverse professionals, recognizing that it is important to continually identify opportunities for advancement and improvement in this space and to be a forward-thinking firm. In doing so, we honor not only this and future generations of Blank Rome professionals, but also our Firm’s founders, who established Blank Rome as a firm where diversity would always be welcome.”
As a reward for achieving Mansfield Certification, Blank Rome and other participating certified firms will be able to send their newly promoted diverse and women partners to one of three upcoming Diversity Lab Client Forum events in New York, San Francisco, and Minneapolis/St. Paul. At the client forums, the diverse and women partners will learn from and have an opportunity to connect one-on-one or in small groups with legal department lawyers from more than 60 legal departments from leading companies across the country.