Holland & Knight Earns "Mansfield Certified Plus" Status from Diversity Lab for Second Straight Year
MIAMI (September 3, 2019) – Holland & Knight has achieved "Mansfield Certified Plus" status from the Diversity Lab for the second year in a row. The Mansfield Rule initiative is a program aimed at increasing the number of women, minority and LGTBQ+ attorneys in leadership roles at law firms.
The Mansfield Rule Certification process measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, lawyers of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyers for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities and senior lateral positions. In all, 64 firms met the requirements to become "Mansfield Certified" this year.
Holland & Knight also belongs to a smaller subset of firms achieving "Mansfield Certified Plus" designation in the program's second year. This category recognizes that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the pipeline consideration requirements for certification, these firms have successfully reached at least 30 percent diverse lawyer representation in a notable number of their current leadership roles and committees. Fifty-one firms earned the "Plus" designation.
Firms that achieve Mansfield Certification have the opportunity to send their newly promoted partners from underrepresented groups to one of four client forums to meet and learn from Senior in-house counsel in a structured, small-group networking format.
"We are incredibly proud that the firm has repeated its Mansfield Certified Plus status," said Judy Nemsick, chair of Holland & Knight's Women's Initiative. "More firms and corporate legal departments are participating in the program this year, further demonstrating the legal profession's focus on diversity and inclusion."
About Diversity Lab: Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas – such as the OnRamp Fellowship and the Mansfield Rule – are created through our Hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 100 top law firms and legal departments across the country. Diversity Lab leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test new ideas and research, measure the results, and share the lessons learned. www.diversitylab.com