Wiggin and Dana Joins Midsize Mansfield Rule Initiative to Boost Diversity in Law
February 23, 2022 – Wiggin and Dana announced its participation in Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule for Midsize Law Firms, underscoring the firm’s commitment to tangible progress towards greater Diversity, Equity and Inclusion across the firm and in the legal profession. From March 2022 to September 2023, the firm will join other participating firms in a certification process to boost diversity in leadership.
The Mansfield Rule aims to broaden the pool of women, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minority lawyers who are considered for entry-level and lateral attorney job openings, leadership opportunities, partner promotions, and opportunities to connect with clients. Participating firms must engage in hiring, promotion and leadership transition activities aimed at increasing representation of underrepresented lawyers in leadership roles to at least 30 percent. Diversity Lab, an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in the legal industry, developed the midsize iteration of the Mansfield Rule initiative to better serve appropriate firms.
“The Mansfield Rule provides a framework for us to increase representation and promotion of diverse talent, which is critical to our mission of working towards a more equitable and inclusive firm and legal industry,” said Tim Diemand, Wiggin and Dana’s Managing Partner. “DEI is a cornerstone of our firm’s culture and The Mansfield Rule will help ensure that we remain intentional in our efforts.”
“Real progress towards representation requires action and measurement,” said Jana Simon, Wiggin and Dana’s Chief DEI Officer. “These two areas act as pillars of the Mansfield Rule, allowing us to take meaningful steps on the road towards advancing diversity and inclusion.” Wiggin and Dana’s DEI action plan, DEI DRIVE, aims to drive the firm into the top 33 percent of its law firm peer group for diversity in five years, and the top 25 percent in ten years. The firm’s participation in the Mansfield initiative follows several important steps taken towards Wiggin and Dana’s DEI goals. Last month, the firm created a C-level leadership role fully dedicated to addressing DEI.
