Diversity Lab’s Post

We are grateful to our panelists who shared their lived experiences on Diversity Lab’s “Combining Professional Development and Neurodiversity” webinar, as part of our Disability Inclusion Webinar series. Everyone exists within a spectrum of neurodiversity, and self-identification as neurodivergent is on the rise. A key takeaway from this webinar is that creating an environment where everyone is set up to succeed results in the best work from individuals, regardless of whether they are aware of or disclose neurodevelopmental conditions.   Within the autistic community, there’s an adage: “If you’ve met one autistic person, you’ve met one autistic person.” In this wide-ranging conversation, you’ll meet five neurodivergent people, hear about their journeys, and learn how they bring their unique skills and perspectives to the law. Thank you to our panelists! Aaron Baer, Managing Partner at Renno & Co, ex-BigLaw Partner, Co-founder at 4L Academy, and very neurodiverse lawyer, AJ Link, Autistic Self-Advocate, Disability Justice Advocate, and Space Law and Space Policy Nerd, Simon Margolis, Autistic Lawyer, Public Speaker, Neurodiversity Consultant, and Tax Law LLM Candidate, and Olena V. Ripnick-O'Farrell Neurodivergent (ADHD) Associate General Counsel, IP Product, Meta; Copyright & IP Expert; DEI Advocate. Find the full discussion here: https://lnkd.in/gpBWKjJN Learn more about the Disability Inclusion Commitments: https://lnkd.in/gyPY4iHJ #DisabilityInclusion #Neurodiversity #LegalProfession #Inclusion

We are so excited to highlight the work our team is doing! Will you be attending ChIPs Network's Global Summit in Washington, D.C., next week? If so, stay on the lookout for our Director of Legal Department & Law Firm Integration, Valerie Portillo!

Thank you, Law360 for spotlighting the 360+ firms that are now Mansfield 2023–2024 Certified, our largest cohort yet! Over the past year, these firms have worked with Diversity Lab to create transparent advancement pathways and level the playing field for leadership opportunities. As Alyssa Jarvis, M.S., Director of Mansfield and Strategic Innovations, told Law360, "More than 85 percent of these firms have achieved this designation for two or more consecutive years, affirming that firms are committed to creating inclusive and equitable advancement opportunities for all qualified talent." Diversity Lab has seen the difference this longterm commitment to Mansfield Certification makes. Firms with five or more years of Mansfield Certification have doubled the racial and ethnic diversity in their management committees. Learn more about our Mansfield Certified firms and their work to create inclusive talent practices: https://lnkd.in/ewigfiQt #Mansfield #MansfieldCertified #DEI #Inclusion #LeadershipDiversity #InclusiveTalent

Thank you, The American Lawyer for writing about our largest cohort of Mansfield Certified firms yet! 360+ firms are now Mansfield 2023-24 Certified! and working with Diversity Lab to level the playing field for leadership opportunities. The continued growth of Mansfield comes in the wake of the SCOTUS ruling against affirmative action in higher education. Lisa Kirby, President of Inclusive Talent Systems at Mansfield, noted that the SCOTUS decision "did not apply" to Mansfield programming because "Mansfield is about including everyone to make the candidate pool larger to give everyone a fair chance to succeed." Despite challenges to DEI efforts, the article notes “[Mansfield] firms remained within the program, they've achieved the certification, and they remain committed to increasing diversity," said Alyssa Jarvis, M.S., Director of Mansfield and Strategic Innovations at Diversity Lab. Learn more about our Mansfield Certified firms and their commitment to inclusive talent practices: https://lnkd.in/gAqnDm-g #Mansfield #MansfieldCertified #DEIinLaw #DEI #Inclusion #LeadershipDiversity #InclusiveTalent

Congratulations to the 360+ firms that earned 2023–2024 Mansfield Certification! As other industries backtrack or remain quiet, a record number of newly Mansfield Certified law firms continue to proudly advance inclusive practices and report measurable progress.   As Mansfield’s Certification criteria becomes more challenging each year, the program itself continues to grow. This year’s cohort saw a 13% increase from the nearly 320 firms certified the previous year. By participating in Diversity Lab’s year-long structured certification process, these Mansfield Certified US, Canadian, and UK firms are ensuring that all of their qualified talent has a fair and equal opportunity to be considered for advancement into leadership. The Mansfield framework requires that these firms commit to greater transparency and accountability regarding advancement opportunities, producing striking results. Over 75% of the firms have significantly increased diversity in client pitch teams, lateral partner hires, and equity partner promotions. And the number of women equity partners at Mansfield Certified firms is growing at nearly three times the rate of non-Mansfield firms. Stephen Zubiago, the CEO and Managing Partner at Nixon Peabody LLP, has expressed his appreciation for Mansfield: “Our firm has participated in Mansfield Rule Certification since its inception, and we have made significant strides over the past seven years to create positive change through our internal initiatives and industry partnerships. At Nixon Peabody, we believe that diversity of people, backgrounds, and experience leads to exceptional client service and stronger results for our clients and our firm. We are proud of the progress we have made, and remain committed to our continued efforts to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal profession." These Mansfield firms have taken measurable steps to promote inclusion in their leadership processes. Even in the face of headwinds, they are committed to creating inclusive and equitable workplaces. We are so honored to work with these firms!   Read the full press release here: https://lnkd.in/gX_m7MQU     #Mansfield #MansfieldCertified #DEIinLaw #DEI #Inclusion #LeadershipDiversity #InclusiveTalent

Legal department leaders, is DEI integral to your core values? We invite you to join leaders like Michaune Tillman at Corning Incorporated, one of the 40+ legal departments participating in the Diversity Dividends Collective, which is committed to driving DEI progress in the legal industry through accountability and addressing leadership gaps in outside counsel teams. As a benefit of the Diversity Dividends Collective, Diversity Lab provides standardized DEI data in an interactive dashboard, which allows legal departments to have informed conversations with outside counsel to improve DEI efforts and ensure matters are staffed according to the department’s values and priorities. In its third year, the Diversity Dividends Collective data collection efforts have yielded a 93% survey completion rate across 320+ firms and 630+ client teams - the most extensive data on outside counsel team diversity ever collected. If you would like to learn more about the Diversity Dividends Collective, connect with Valerie Portillo at [email protected] or visit our website at https://lnkd.in/ggrdU2n8 #DEI #LegalProfession #Leadership #Accountability

Legal department leaders, do you want to significantly improve inclusivity in the legal profession? We invite you to join innovators like Jim Chosy and his incredible team at U.S. Bank, one of the 40+ members of the Diversity Dividends Collective committed to driving DEI progress through follow-up conversations and addressing leadership gaps on their outside counsel teams. As part of the Diversity Dividends Collective, participating legal departments can exchange lessons learned among their peers and share best practices for broadening leadership opportunities for the law firm lawyers they work with. In its third year, the Diversity Dividends Collective data collection yielded a 93% survey completion rate across 320+ firms and 630+ client teams - the most extensive data on outside counsel team diversity ever collected. If you would like to learn more about the Diversity Dividends Collective, connect with Valerie Portillo at [email protected] or visit our website at https://lnkd.in/ggrdU2n8 Bernardine Lai, Bridgette Herndon, Heidi Wisner Staloch, Michael DeBois, Ruben Quevedo,Sarah Stroebel, Amy Wagner #DEI #LegalDepartments #LegalProfession #Inclusivity

Congratulations to the 2024 ChIPs Honor Roll firms - Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, Morrison Foerster, Nixon Peabody LLP, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP. Diversity Lab is proud to partner with ChIPs Network to celebrate firms that are committed to implementing proven inclusion actions to ensure that all lawyers have fair and equal access to quality work, influential sponsors, business development, and other opportunities. "The ChIPs Honor Roll is based on Diversity Lab’s unique Inclusion Blueprint outcomes, which scores top law firms on demographics tracking, diversity representation, ongoing inclusion practices at the firm, and ongoing inclusion practices within practice groups." “The Inclusion Blueprint is a unique diagnostic tool that allows firms to track and measure inclusion practices at both the leadership and practice group levels,” shared Amber Marcoux, Director of Inclusion Innovations at Diversity Lab. Read the full ChIPs announcement: https://lnkd.in/gm9Da9yp Learn more about the Inclusion Blueprint: https://lnkd.in/gv5AuHGF #Inclusion #LegalProfession #WomenInLaw #ChIPsHonorRoll2024

Legal department leaders, do you know the “metrics that matter” to increase inclusivity across your outside counsel teams? We invite you to join leading legal and compliance teams like United States Steel Corporation one of the 40+ legal departments participating in the Diversity Dividends Collective, benefitting from Diversity Lab’s expertise in key metrics that have been proven to drive inclusive workplaces at law firms. Diversity Lab simplifies the DEI data collection process for participating legal departments by spearheading the collection and analysis of standardized DEI data. The data is presented in an interactive dashboard that provides legal departments with broad comparisons and a deep dive into the demographic makeup of outside counsel teams, all while protecting timekeeper privacy. In its third year, the Diversity Dividends Collective data collection yielded a 93% survey completion rate across 320+ firms and 630+ client teams - the most extensive data on outside counsel team diversity ever collected. If you would like to learn more about the Diversity Dividends Collective, connect with Valerie Portillo at [email protected] or visit our website at https://lnkd.in/ggrdU2n8 #DEI #LegalDepartments #Data #OutsideCounselFirms