Jones Walker Achieves Mansfield Certification Status

Firm committed to widening the leadership talent pool, affirms progress in achieving diversity goals

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jones Walker LLP is proud to announce it has achieved Mansfield Rule 6.0 certification status for 2022–2023. After completion of Diversity Lab's rigorous certification process, the firm is honored to have earned a nationally recognized measure of its commitment to diversity and inclusion in the legal field. The Mansfield Rule is a structured certification process designed to ensure all talent at participating law firms has a fair and equal opportunity to advance into leadership. Mansfield is focused on broadening the talent pool for consideration, including those historically underrepresented in the legal profession, to facilitate transparent pathways to leadership.

"We are proud to have completed Diversity Lab's thorough process and ultimately achieve Mansfield Certification status," said Bill Hines, managing partner of Jones Walker. "This is a meaningful step forward and creates measurable steps in achieving the firm's diversity in leadership goals."

To achieve Mansfield Certification, Jones Walker implemented a behavioral science and data-driven approach — designed by Diversity Lab in collaboration with talent experts, data scientists, and lawyers — to help increase diversity in leadership. Focused on opening the door wider and ensuring that opportunities are inclusive, the firm considered broad slates of qualified talent for leadership roles that included at least 30% historically underrepresented lawyers. In addition, as part of the certification process, Jones Walker worked hard to enhance transparency related to leadership roles, advancement processes, and compensation policies.

"We are committed to continuing to work toward a culture of inclusion and equity within Jones Walker and the larger legal profession, and this certification is an affirmation of our progress," added Richard Cortizas, chief diversity officer of Jones Walker.

Mansfield's methodology, which has proven to build more diverse leadership teams, is rooted in changes to systems and processes, not exclusivity or discrimination. Mansfield ensures that opportunities for advancement are inclusive by broadening talent pools instead of instilling quotas, set-asides, and requirements unrelated to an individual's qualifications.

"At a time when efforts to expand opportunities to underrepresented groups are needed now more than ever, these Mansfield firms are making their advancement processes more open and transparent," said Alyssa Jarvis, director of Mansfield and strategic innovations at Diversity Lab. "The firms honored for achieving certification have articulated and broadened the paths to leadership. The expectations, and avenues to success, have never been clearer. And this commitment to transparency benefits everyone."

More than 350 midsize and large firms, including Jones Walker, have committed to continuing this hard work as part of the next certification cohort in 2023–2024. These firms have demonstrated their commitment to learning together, working together, and creating a more inclusive legal profession together.

About Jones Walker
Jones Walker LLP (joneswalker.com) is among the largest 135 law firms in the United States. With offices in Alabama, Arizona, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, and Texas, we serve local, regional, national, and international business interests. The firm is committed to providing a comprehensive range of legal services to major multinational public and private corporations, Fortune 500 companies, money center banks, worldwide insurers, and emerging companies doing business in the United States and abroad.

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 details, visit www.diversitylab.com.

Contact: 
Ryan Evans
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SOURCE Jones Walker LLP