Koley Jessen Attains Mansfield Certification Plus Status
Diversity Lab has announced that Koley Jessen is one of 26 firms that successfully achieved the first-ever Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification and one of 16 that achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status.
“We are excited and proud to have achieved Mansfield Certification Plus,” says Alex Wolf, President of Koley Jessen. “Diversity is a core part of our firm vision and our strategic plan and we have implemented several diversity-related initiatives over the last few years. Mansfield provides us a way to ensure we are making progress and meeting our goals. Our DE&I Committee is to be commended for their continued work on this front.”
The Mansfield Rule program is designed to increase diversity in law firm lateral hiring, partner promotions, marketing, and firm governance. The Mansfield Rule has become the standard by which law firms track and measure that they have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women lawyers, underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for attorney positions, leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and formal client pitch opportunities.
Koley Jessen’s Certification Plus status indicates that, in addition to meeting baseline certification requirements, the firm successfully met or surpassed 30 percent diverse representation in current leadership roles, formal client pitches, and staffing on key matters.
“We are incredibly proud of – and grateful to – the firms that stepped up to try this new version and partner with us to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces in the midsize sector,” said Kate Johnston Ryan, Chief Administrative Officer at Diversity Lab. “Despite launching the midsize iteration of the Mansfield Rule in the midst of a global pandemic, these firms were not deterred from taking on challenging systems changes to increase diversity in their firms and the profession. We thank and congratulate this truly committed group of firms and leaders.”
About Diversity Lab
Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas are created through our Hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 250 top law firms and legal departments across the country. Diversity Lab leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test new ideas and research, measure the results, and share the lessons learned. For more information, visit www.diversitylab.com.
For more information on Koley Jessen's diversity initiatives, please visit our Roadmap to a More Diverse and Inclusive Workplace.