Stradley Ronon Continues DE&I Commitment Through Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification

PHILADELPHIA – Stradley Ronon is proud to announce that the firm has successfully achieved Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification status from Diversity Lab, a recognition awarded to 118 leading law firms nationwide. This achievement highlights the firm’s ongoing commitment to boost the representation of historically underrepresented lawyers in leadership positions of the legal profession. The certified firms have completed a rigorous 12-month collaboration with built-in measurement, transparency and accountability. As reported by Diversity Lab, “each firm has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and is making meaningful progress on diversifying law firm leadership.”

“At Stradley, we recognize and embrace that the Mansfield Rule makes our firm stronger, brings value to our clients and communities, and allows us to be better equipped to address the challenges of today’s workplace,” said Chief Diversity Officer Brian P. Seaman. “It takes this type of collaboration from the legal profession to drive meaningful change and measurable outcomes, and this certification is one of many steps the firm is taking to create an inclusive place for all.”

Under Mansfield, Stradley Ronon will ensure that at least 30% of candidates being considered for leadership positions, new hire and lateral openings, equity partnership promotions and pitch opportunities are women, people of color, queer people, and individuals with disabilities.

The firm has also renewed its participation in the Mansfield 5.0 Rule program, which runs from July 2021 to July 2022. Stradley Ronon’s Diversity Committee is charged with leading the Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification process.

For Mansfield 5.0 firms, the new requirements include the following:

• Track their candidate pools in a disaggregated manner, prompting them to measure the impact of the Mansfield Rule by each underrepresented group. Firms must also include an option for Middle Eastern/North African identity, a demographic often overlooked by current self-identification options;
• Consider at least 30% of underrepresented lawyers for nominations to Chambers USA to increase the external visibility of underrepresented lawyers with clients and in the marketplace more broadly; and
• Consider 30% underrepresented individuals when hiring and promoting C-level or other senior-level professional staff roles.

Inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which is designed to increase and encourage the number of minority coaches interviewed by teams for head coach vacancies, the Mansfield Rule promotes women and minorities into leadership positions within law firms or companies. The Mansfield Rule was named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to practice law in the U.S.

About Stradley Ronon
Counseling clients since 1926, Stradley Ronon has helped private and public companies – from small businesses to Fortune 500 corporations – achieve their goals by providing pragmatic, value-driven legal counsel. With offices in seven strategic locations, our responsive team of more than 200 attorneys seamlessly addresses the full spectrum of our clients’ needs, ranging from sophisticated corporate transactions to complex commercial litigation.