TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTO SANDERS LLP: Troutman Pepper Pursues Mansfield Rule 5.0 Certification

Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP issued the following announcement on June 28.

Troutman Pepper has joined over 160 law firms in pursuing certification under the latest iteration of the Mansfield Rule, which aims to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for such opportunities.

“Troutman Pepper has a goal to be 5.0 and 5.0 Plus certified later this year,” said Partner Holly Hill, the firm’s chief diversity officer. “Diversity, equity, and inclusion are among our firm’s core values, and we remain committed to recruiting, hiring, and developing diverse lawyers. The Mansfield Rule is a critical measure of our efforts.”

Mansfield Rule 5.0 requires firms to:

• Track their candidate pools in a disaggregated manner, prompting them to measure the impact of the Mansfield Rule by each underrepresented group. Firms must also include an option for Middle Eastern/North African identity, a demographic often overlooked by current self-identification options.
• Consider at least 30% underrepresented lawyers for nominations to Chambers USA to increase the external visibility of underrepresented lawyers with clients and in the marketplace more broadly.
• Consider 30% underrepresented individuals when hiring and promoting C-level or other senior-level professional staff roles.

“Troutman Pepper was an early adopter of the Mansfield Rule,” said Partner Kassem Lucas, chair of Troutman Pepper’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “Recent analysis of the first firms to pursue certification show they have increased the racial and ethnic diversity of top leadership and have notably diversified their Management Committees by more than 30 times the rate of non-Mansfield firms. It demonstrates the process is working.”

Troutman Pepper was among a group of only 67 law firms to earn Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certification Plus status last September. The Mansfield Rule 4.0 certified firms will be announced later this year.

Named for the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States, the Mansfield Rule measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered at least 30% 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. Firms are audited bi-annually and certified annually as they follow, comply, and achieve the Rule’s requirements.

Original source can be found here.