Marshall Gerstein Builds on Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives as Early Adopter of Diversity Lab’s New Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification
Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP announces that it will be one of the first to participate in Diversity Lab’s newly-launched Midsize Mansfield Rule certification process. The firm is just one of 23 midsize law firms to pilot this iteration of the Mansfield Rule that has been developed for firms with fewer than 100 lawyers.
The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities and senior lateral positions. Similar to the large law firm program, firms that successfully complete the Midsize Mansfield Rule criteria will be designated as “Mansfield Certified” and will have the opportunity to send their diverse partners to the Mansfield Rule Client Forums in late 2022 to build relationships with and learn from Diversity Lab’s in-house counsel collaborators. To date, more than 80 legal departments have contributed to and / or hosted Mansfield Rule Client Forums, including Barclays, Facebook, Fannie Mae, Ford Motor Company, Google, McKesson Corp, MetLife, Pfizer, PNC Bank, Uber and US Bank.
“We are excited to be part of the Midsize Mansfield Rule pilot program,” said Jeffrey S. Sharp, managing partner at Marshall Gerstein. “Although we are already working hard to increase diversity in our talent pipeline, programs like the Midsize Mansfield Rule only enhance our efforts and move the entire legal industry forward. The countless acts of racial injustice that our country has witnessed this year further underscore the importance of these efforts, and our firm is honored to take part in the process.”
In addition to the Midsize Mansfield Rule certification process, Marshall Gerstein diligently works to recruit, retain and advance individuals from all backgrounds. The firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan has been publicly available on its website since 2009 and Marshall Gerstein has made measurable success in achieving goals for internal education, recruiting, retention, external communication and accountability. Recent advancements include bolstering recruitment efforts to reach more diverse students earlier in their academic careers; increasing involvement and leadership in diverse bar associations and member groups; and, providing monetary support to legal and community organizations that work to advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the legal industry and society as a whole.
Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas are created through their Hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 150 top law firms and legal departments across the country. The incubator leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking and technology to further develop and test the ideas, measure the results and share the lessons learned. To learn more about the Midsize Mansfield Rule program, please visit www.diversitylab.com.
In May 2022, Marshall Gerstein achieved the inaugural Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification. The firm completed a rigorous 18-month collaboration with Diversity Lab — beginning in September 2020 — to track, consider, measure, and achieve diversity in leadership. Marshall Gerstein is one of the 16 Certified Midsize Mansfield firms that achieved Certification “Plus” status, which indicates that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the consideration requirements, the firm successfully achieved 30 percent diverse representation in current leadership roles, formal client pitches, and staffing on key matters. Learn more about our Mansfield Rule Certification Plus designation.
