Stoel Rives Achieves Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus

PORTLAND, Ore.—Stoel Rives, an AmLaw 200 firm, is pleased to announce that it has achieved Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification Plus, marking the fifth year the firm has participated in the program as part of its ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to its 6.0 certification, Stoel Rives has signed on for Mansfield Rule 7.0, which runs from July 2023 to July 2024.

“Leading by example to create a more equitable workplace for our firm and our colleagues in the legal industry is a core component of our firm culture. We are proud to have made progress in our initiatives and to have qualified for Mansfield Certification Plus for another year,” said Stoel Rives’ Firmwide Managing Partner, Melissa Jones. “While we celebrate this achievement, we see how much room there is for more progress, and we remain committed to further advancing the goal of equity in the legal industry.”

To achieve Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certification, a firm must have considered at least 30% women, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities when considering candidates for leadership roles and promotion into equity partnership, among a dozen other activities that focus on the path to leadership. Firms must also consider at least 30% underrepresented talent for C-suite roles. In addition, Stoel Rives’ “Plus” status indicates that, in addition to meeting or exceeding the baseline requirements, the firm has met the goal of at least 30% diverse lawyer representation in its current leadership roles as well as has written, clear, and accessible advancement processes, compensation policies, and leadership role descriptions.

Over the yearlong process for achieving Mansfield 6.0 Certification Plus, which ran from July 2022 to July 2023, Diversity Lab collected and analyzed data on the diversity progress of more than 240 committed law firms.

“The certification program provides a necessary framework and opportunity for us to evaluate our goals and ensure that we are making meaningful progress towards achieving them,” said Stoel Rives’ Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, Karen O’Connor. “Our firm is fiercely proud of our progress towards promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and remains committed to building a law firm that seeks out and welcomes top talent and provides an environment in which all can succeed.”

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, or requirements unrelated to an individual’s qualifications.

In addition to ongoing participation in the Mansfield Certification process, Stoel Rives is a founding law firm of Diversity Lab’s Move the Needle Fund. The fund is a five-year model program designed to help law firms measure and reach diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. More on Stoel Rives’ commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion can be found at www.stoel.com/diversity.