Underscoring WilmerHale’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion, the firm recently achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status for 2018. WilmerHale is one of only 26 law firms in the nation to receive the designation after successfully completing a one-year pilot program in which participating firms agreed to have their diversity efforts measured against ambitious targets for the percentages of women and attorneys of color in leadership and other important roles.
The Mansfield Rule, overseen by Diversity Lab, is patterned after the National Football League’s Rooney Rule, which requires NFL teams to interview diverse candidates for head coach and front office vacancies. The Mansfield Rule is named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the US.
The commitment made by the firms that participated in the Mansfield Rule pilot program included having women or attorneys of color represent at least 30 percent of candidates being considered for firm leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions and senior lateral positions.
While 41 firms received Mansfield certification, WilmerHale was one of only 26 firms to also receive “certification plus” status. This designation recognizes firms that already have at least 30 percent of women or diverse lawyers serving in the leadership roles targeted by the Mansfield initiative.
WilmerHale is one of 65 firms participating in Mansfield 2.0. This next phase adds LGBTQ+ lawyers to the categories of women and people of color whose presence in law firms the initiative seeks to expand; it runs from July 2018 to July 2019.
Mansfield Certification Plus is the latest recognition the firm has received for its strong and enduring commitment to diversity and inclusion. The firm’s efforts continue to be recognized, with Working Mother magazine recently listing the firm among the Best Law Firms for Women and Law360 naming WilmerHale a “rare” large firm leading in both female and minority diversity.
The Women in Law Empowerment Forum also recently announced that WilmerHale once again received its Gold Standard Certification for dedication to women in leadership roles and commitment to equal compensation.
In the past year, WilmerHale received diversity and inclusion awards from TIAA and Dell. The firm also received the 2017 Law Firm Diversity Award from the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the Human Rights Campaign chose the firm as a “best place to work” for LBGTQ equality for the 10th consecutive year.