Atlanta (July 6, 2020) – Morris, Manning & Martin will again participate in one of the legal profession’s most significant diversity efforts. The firm is pursuing a certification under the Mansfield Rule 4.0.
Mansfield Rule Certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+ and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. The goal is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities.
“MMM joined Mansfield in its pilot program in 2017,” said Managing Partner Simon Malko. “Since then our leadership and management committees have been very intentional when discussing our leadership and chair positions throughout the firm to ensure that diverse candidates are being considered and appointed.” Malko also signed an open letter calling for firms and others in the legal profession to increase and sustain a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Outcomes from the certification process for Mansfield Rule 3.0 already show positive results.
- Almost all firms – 94% – said the candidate pool for pitch teams was more diverse.
- More than three-quarters – 79% – said their lateral hiring pool was more diverse while 76% of the equity partner promotions pool was more diverse.
- As for managing partner roles, 57% of participating firms elected or appointed a higher percentage of diverse lawyers.
- All now track their candidate pools for lateral hires. This compares to 12% in the past who tracked candidates for leadership posts and only 25% that tracked lateral partners.
“The Mansfield certification keeps on evolving and requires law firms to do more to increase diversity and inclusion by measuring, tracking, and improving the composition of women, minority, and LGBT+ candidates for lateral hiring, leadership positions, and business development activities,” said Dan Huynh, who chairs the firm’s Diversity Initiative. “Morris Manning is committed to leading the industry in diversity and inclusion efforts, and one facet of our approach is to meet and exceed the standards set by each iteration of the Mansfield Rule.”
MMM earned both Mansfield and Mansfield Plus certifications under the 1.0 and 2.0 stages of the program in 2018 and 2019. The Plus certification indicates diverse lawyers already make up 30% of the workforce. The results of Mansfield 3.0, which also counts lawyers with handicaps, are expected to be announced this fall. The certification process for 4.0 is now underway with results to be announced next year. For more information about the latest certification, click here.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an Am Law 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, corporate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, cybersecurity and privacy, capital markets, environmental, international trade, and insurance practices. MMM has offices in and around Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah and Washington, D.C.
Media Contact for MMM: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347, Terri@TerriThornton.com
