Fredrikson & Byron has achieved Mansfield Certification and Certification Plus status from Diversity Lab for demonstrating a commitment to boosting representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership.
“We have committed to the Mansfield program to continue to hold ourselves accountable in diversifying our pipeline to leadership,” said Mary Ranum, Diversity & Inclusion Committee chair. “While we are proud to have received both certification and certification plus status, we also recognize that we as a firm and as a profession have more hard work ahead.”
To achieve certification, law firms must consider at least 30 percent historically underrepresented lawyers—women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+ and lawyers with disabilities—in at least 70 percent of enumerated categories including leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities and senior lateral positions. Certification Plus status is awarded to firms that not only meet the consideration thresholds, but also achieve 30 percent representation in 70 percent of the categories.
The Mansfield Rule is named for Arabella Mansfield, the first woman lawyer admitted to the practice of law in the United States. The Mansfield Rule is one of the winning ideas of the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon, hosted by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Stanford Law School and Bloomberg Law.
Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Learn more about Diversity Lab and the Mansfield Rule at www.DiversityLab.com.
Fredrikson & Byron is a 300-attorney law firm based in Minneapolis, with offices in Bismarck, Des Moines, Fargo, Mankato, St. Paul, Saltillo, Mexico, and Shanghai, China. Fredrikson & Byron has a reputation as the firm “where law and business meet.” Our attorneys bring business acumen and entrepreneurial thinking to work with clients, and operate as business advisors and strategic partners, as well as legal counselors. More information about the firm is available at www.fredlaw.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter @FredriksonLaw.
Media Contact: Kelly Griffith, 612.492.7514, kgriffith@fredlaw.com.