Firm Recognized for Diverse Leadership

Latham is proud to have been awarded Mansfield Certification Plus status from Diversity Lab for the second year in a row. In 2017, a coalition of law firms and corporate legal departments created the Mansfield Rule in order to increase diversity in the legal industry, in conjunction with Diversity Lab, an incubator for solutions and ideas that bolster diversity and inclusion in the legal industry.

Named for Arabella Mansfield, the first American woman admitted to the practice of law, the Mansfield Rule evaluates whether “law firms have affirmatively considered women, LGBTQ+, and minority lawyers — at least 30% of the candidate pool — for promotions, senior level hiring, and significant leadership roles in the firm.” This data-driven rule is a modified version of the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires football teams to interview at least one minority candidate when filling coaching vacancies and manager positions. Only firms that have achieved or exceeded the goal of 30 percent women, LGBTQ+ and minority lawyers in at least one-half of the specified roles earned Certification Plus status.