Williams & Connolly is again proud to be included among the leading law firms who have achieved Mansfield Certification for version 4.0.  The Mansfield Rule certification measures whether law firms have affirmatively considered women, attorneys of color, LGBTQ+ attorneys, and attorneys with disabilities -- at least 30 percent of the candidate pool -- for recruitment, governance roles, equity partner promotions, and inclusion in formal pitch presentations to clients.  The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these roles and opportunities.  Williams & Connolly has already committed to participate in the Mansfield Rule 5.0 certification process for 2022.

The Mansfield Rule is named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States, and it is inspired by the “Rooney Rule,” a mandate that requires every NFL team to interview at least one minority candidate for head coach vacancies.

“Williams & Connolly recognizes diversity and inclusion as core values and we’re proud to participate in the Mansfield Certification process to assist us in achieving our goal to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Malachi Jones, Williams & Connolly’s Chief Diversity Partner.  Malachi is chair of the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, which develops and monitors initiatives to achieve our goals.  Our commitment to diversity and inclusion makes us better able to serve our clients and community.  

Click here to read the press release. 
Click here to read more about Williams & Connolly’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.