Haynes Boone Pursues Next Iteration of Mansfield Rule Certification - 6.0

Haynes Boone has committed to pursuing the latest certification under the Mansfield Rule, which aims to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for such opportunities.

Now entering its sixth year, the Mansfield Rule has become the standard by which law firms track and measure their commitment to being a market leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). To be “Mansfield certified,” firms must have affirmatively considered at least 30% women, lawyers from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers for top leadership roles, senior-level lateral hiring, promotions into the equity partnership, and participation in client pitch meetings.

The firm achieved Mansfield Rule 4.0 certification in September 2021 after completing a rigorous 12-month collaboration with Diversity Lab and also achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status, which shows even greater success in diversifying law firm leadership.

“The Mansfield framework helps us ensure we approach succession planning for the next generation of leaders in a structured and deliberative manner – consistently across offices and practice groups,” said Sharon Jones, Haynes Boone’s Chief DEI officer.

Managing Partner Taylor Wilson added: “By assigning client responsibilities and managing leadership and professional development in a fair and equitable manner, we believe that we can take positive steps toward increasing participation at all levels by historically underrepresented lawyers.”

Mansfield certification evolves each year to drive even greater progress among law firms, according to Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law.

Haynes Boone is pursuing Mansfield 5.0 certification, and the list of certified firms will be announced soon.

In addition to existing Mansfield criteria, the 6.0 version asks firms to share lessons learned with each other through monthly knowledge sharing forums They must create and publish job descriptions for leadership roles; continue to meet routine check-in, data-collection, and reporting milestones; and to attain “Certification Plus” status, firms’ advancement and compensation processes must now be transparent internally.

Haynes Boone is an international corporate law firm with 18 offices, spanning Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It was recognized in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2022 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.