Designation recognizes commitment to transparent paths to leadership
(October 11, 2023) – Robinson+Cole is proud to announce that it has achieved Mansfield Rule Certification Plus. This marks the fourth consecutive year of certification after a year-long review process. The Firm is among only half of the certified law firms to receive the Mansfield Certification Plus designation, which measures the structural changes and steps the firm has taken over the past year to ensure paths to leadership are open and transparent to all qualified lawyers.
“Achieving Mansfield Certification Plus is validation that our organizational processes are supporting clearer paths to leadership for Robinson+Cole lawyers,” said Robinson+Cole Managing Partner Rhonda Tobin. “We’re so proud of our continued efforts to create a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment where our lawyers and professional staff have the resources needed to succeed.”
Developed and facilitated by Diversity Lab, 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. Now in its seventh edition, the Mansfield Rule measures whether Robinson+Cole has affirmatively considered at least 30 percent women, lawyers of color, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers (“historically underrepresented lawyers”) among its field of candidates for significant leadership roles and activities in the firm. The “Plus” designation indicates that Robinson+Cole has not only taken steps to increase inclusivity in leadership, but the firm has made measured progress in doing so.
Robinson+Cole is currently participating in Mansfield Rule 7.0 for 2023-2024 and is undergoing its fifth evaluation process in an effort to maintain certification. Recommitting to the Mansfield Rule is the latest in a number of acknowledgements the firm has received for its ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The firm was recently named an Inclusive Workplace by Best Companies Group, which recognizes businesses that have demonstrated exemplary commitment to fostering inclusivity and a sense of belonging in their work environment. Participating companies engage in a comprehensive survey and data analysis process. Areas of evaluation include inclusion, belonging, psychological safety, community, and purpose. Recipients of this recognition have shown significant commitment to ensuring that all of their employees feel included, heard, and valued. Robinson+Cole is also among 55 U.S.-based law firms named to Bloomberg Law’s third annual Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Framework, a listing of law firms that meet or exceed an established threshold of diversity measured across areas such as recruitment and retention, leadership and talent pipelines, and business strategy—as determined by a panel of experts from industry, academia, and the legal industry. The DEI Framework is described as a “groundbreaking program designed to recognize law firms’ commitment to DEI through a rigorous, quantitative methodology.” In addition, Robinson+Cole climbed more than ten spots to be ranked #50 in Law360’s 2023 Diversity Snapshot, which focuses on the headway law firms are making in their efforts to diversify their ranks.
About Robinson+Cole
Robinson+Cole is an Am Law 200 law firm established over 178 years ago, with a deeply rooted culture of collaboration, civility and inclusion. The firm is ranked #17 in the 2024 Vault Best Law Firms to Work For, a Mansfield Rule Certified Plus firm, and has more than 250 lawyers in eleven offices throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Florida, and California, serving regional, national, and international clients, from start-ups to Fortune 50 companies. Robinson+Cole is a service mark of Robinson & Cole LLP. For more information, please visit www.rc.com.
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For more information, contact:
Jessica A. Altieri, Communications Manager
Robinson+Cole | 860.541.2646, jaltieri@rc.com