Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP is pleased to announce that the firm has achieved Mansfield Rule Certification 2.0 after completing the twelve-month certification program, indicating Sheppard Mullin 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. Notably, Sheppard Mullin also achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status for the second consecutive year. The “Plus” designation indicates that Sheppard Mullin has reached at least 30 percent diverse lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees.
“We are very proud to once again be recognized for our commitment to our diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs,” said Guy Halgren, Chairman of Sheppard Mullin. “We are constantly evaluating our internal efforts to further advance Sheppard Mullin’s collaborative and inclusive culture. The Mansfield Rule has created a benchmark for accountability which has initiated real changes to accomplish diverse representation in leadership roles across our profession. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Diversity Lab and the Mansfield initiative.”
Rena Andoh, Chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and New York partner, added: “Groundbreaking initiatives like Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Certification ensure transparency in law candidate pools at every level, from entry to leadership. We still have a lot of work to do within the industry, but it’s encouraging to see that more law firms in 2019 have moved the needle to become Mansfield certified.”
The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities. The Mansfield Rule Certification 2.0 evolved to include LGBTQ+ lawyers, in addition to women and lawyers of color. Sheppard Mullin is one of the 99 firms nationwide piloting Mansfield 3.0 through July 2020, which expands to include lawyers with disabilities.
Sheppard Mullin’s commitment to diversity and inclusion has been often recognized. Recent achievements include:
- Named among Yale Law Women’s 2019 Top Ten Firms for Gender Equality and Family Friendliness Report
- Named among Working Mother Magazine’s 2019 “Best Law Firms for Women”
- Ranked #32 on The American Lawyer’s 2019 Diversity Scorecard
- Earned 100% rating by the Human Rights Campaign’s 2019 Corporate Equality Index
- Noted among the best firms for minority attorneys by Law360
Background on the Mansfield Rule -- The Mansfield Rule is named for Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States-- 150 years ago. It was a winning idea from the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon hosted by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Bloomberg Law and Stanford Law School. It was inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule, created by the late Dan Rooney in 2003 and now supported by his son, Art Rooney II, President of the Pittsburgh Steelers and a name partner in law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. The Rooney Rule requires every NFL team to interview at least one minority candidate for head coach vacancies. In the years following its implementation, the number of minorities hired to fill head coach roles doubled.