In 2020, Tucker Ellis joined Mansfield Rule 4.0 to expand our firm’s commitment to equity and inclusion. In 2021, we joined Mansfield Rule 5.0, continuing our commitment by tackling new challenges to push the boundaries necessary to boost diversity in law firm leadership.
The Mansfield Rule, administered by Diversity Lab, addresses the dearth of diverse attorneys in positions of law firm leadership by setting benchmarks to measure whether firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent female lawyers, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions.
While diversifying pitch teams is an important goal, simply having a seat in the meeting is not enough. We have put into place specific processes for logging in and addressing each RFP and pitch and tracking the diversity statistics for attorneys, paralegals, and any other staffing proposed for the engagement. For each successful pitch and proposal, our marketing and accounting teams work diligently to pull and review timekeeper reports to confirm that the attorneys proposed in the pitch are also staffed and actively working on new matters.
In September 2021, Tucker Ellis achieved the highest certification level – Mansfield Certified Plus. Mansfield Certification Plus status indicates that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the baseline certification requirements, the firms have successfully reached at least 30% underrepresented lawyer representation in a notable number of their current leadership roles.
For more information, read our press releases:
- Tucker Ellis Joins Mansfield Rule 4.0 to Increase Law Firm Equity & Inclusion (July 2020)
- Tucker Ellis Joins Mansfield Rule 5.0, Continuing Its Commitment to Increase Diversity in Law Firm Leadership (July 2021)
- Tucker Ellis Earns Mansfield Rule 4.0 Plus Certification (September 2021)
