Miller Canfield Expands ‘Mansfield Rule’ to Foster Diversity, Inclusion
Miller Canfield announced today that it will for a second year partner with Diversity Lab and 35 of the country’s leading law firms to adopt the Mansfield Rule. The announcement was made by Miller Canfield CEO Michael McGee.
Inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule and named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States, the Mansfield Rule program launched in 2017. More than 30 top law firms nationwide, including Miller Canfield, took leadership to pilot the program. The rule measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women and attorneys of color—at least 30 percent of the candidate pool—for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, and lateral positions.
This year, Diversity Lab has dubbed the rule Mansfield 2.0, and expanded it to include LGBTQ attorneys and broaden law firm obligations. Miller Canfield will be among nearly 50 firms to pilot the program this year. Mansfield 2.0 firms are expected to measure participation of minority attorneys in formal client pitch meetings, and to increase transparency in job responsibilities and the process for governance appointments and elections.
“Miller Canfield has for decades been a leader in diversity and inclusion,” McGee said. “Our adoption of the Mansfield Rule has given us a vehicle to more formally track and measure our success in this area, and we remain committed to continuing the hard work of creating opportunities for the best attorneys in a diverse and welcoming workplace.”