Diversity Lab today announced that Shipman & Goodwin LLP has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus 4.0 for 2021, and is participating in the Mansfield Rule 5.0 certification program.
The firm has earned the highest designation of Mansfield Rule Certification in recognition of its commitment to enhancing diversity among its leadership. Shipman is one of only 92 law firms nationwide to achieve Mansfield 4.0 Certification Plus and will be one of 166 firms to participate in Mansfield 5.0 certification for 2022.
"At Shipman, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts to advance the careers and leadership opportunities for historically underrepresented attorneys extends far beyond a well-meaning committee. These initiatives have become part of the fabric of the firm and are critical to our strategic growth and success," said Leander Dolphin, Shipman's co-managing partner. "The Mansfield Rule certification provides an important opportunity for us to reflect on how far we've come as a firm, and at the same time reminding us that there is quite a distance to go still ahead of us."
The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to measure whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities and senior lateral positions. Shipman's "Plus" status indicates that the firm has reached at least 30 percent diverse lawyer representation among a notable number of its current leadership roles, in addition to meeting or exceeding the baseline certification requirements.
"Our participation in the Mansfield Rule certification process has had a deep and lasting positive impact on the firm and the way we consciously consider diversity in our organizational and business decisions, culminating in a strong culture that promotes diverse talent and creates a supportive environment," said Jessica Ritter, co-chair of the firm's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. "We are proud to be recognized with the Plus status again this year for our efforts to diversify our firm and promote equity and inclusion in our leadership roles."
This is the second consecutive year Shipman has earned Mansfield Plus certification and follows recent recognition from The National Law Journal as the eighth most inclusive firm for women after participating in the publication's annual NLJ 500 firm headcount Women in Law Scorecard report for the first time.
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