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The Mansfield Rule

Expanding our commitment to equity & inclusion

Since 2020, Tucker Ellis has participated in the Mansfield Rule, an annual certification process that aims to boost diversity in law firm leadership. We are proud to have achieved the highest level of certification on our first attempt and in each subsequent iteration of the Mansfield Rule.

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. This initiative encourages law firms to actively staff matters with diverse attorneys and, in turn, will result in the recruiting, hiring, and retention of more diverse attorneys.

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.

2023–2024 Mansfield Rule

In 2023, we continued our commitment to the Mansfield Rule by joining the 2023–2024 cycle. The latest version of the Mansfield Rule expands the scope and increases the rigor of the certification process even further than previous cycles, with the aim of boosting and sustaining inclusivity and diversity in law firm leadership.

Mansfield Certified Plus

Reflecting the depth of our commitment to boost diversity in our firm’s leadership, Tucker Ellis is proud to have achieved the highest certification level – Mansfield Certified Plus – on our first attempt and in each subsequent iteration of the Mansfield Rule. This higher level of certification is awarded to firms that have not only considered but also achieved the 30 percent benchmark in addition to meeting other criteria.

For more information, read our press releases: