Haynes and Boone, LLP has achieved Mansfield Rule 5.0 certification after completing a rigorous 12-month collaboration with Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the legal industry.
Now entering its sixth year, the Mansfield Rule has become the standard by which law firms track and measure their commitment to DEI. The certification is designed to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for such opportunities.
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 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.
Mansfield certification evolves each year to drive even greater progress among law firms, according to Diversity Lab. The firm recently committed to pursuing the latest certification under the Mansfield Rule 6.0. In addition to current 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.
“We are pleased with this recognition as a reflection of our firm’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This is further evidence of our progress toward being a market leader in this important area,” said Haynes Boone Managing Partner Taylor Wilson.
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with 18 offices in 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.
Now entering its sixth year, the Mansfield Rule has become the standard by which law firms track and measure their commitment to DEI. The certification is designed to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for such opportunities.
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 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.
Mansfield certification evolves each year to drive even greater progress among law firms, according to Diversity Lab. The firm recently committed to pursuing the latest certification under the Mansfield Rule 6.0. In addition to current 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.
“We are pleased with this recognition as a reflection of our firm’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. This is further evidence of our progress toward being a market leader in this important area,” said Haynes Boone Managing Partner Taylor Wilson.
Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with 18 offices in 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.
