Baton Rouge, La. (press release) – Kean Miller announced that the firm has achieved Mansfield Certification for 2023-24, marking the fifth consecutive year of this recognition. Awarded by Diversity Lab, the Mansfield Certification is a rigorous, year-long certification process that promotes fair and equal opportunities for advancement into law firm leadership positions.
As the only Louisiana-founded firm to achieve Early Adopter status—designated for firms that have maintained certification for five to six years—Kean Miller continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversity and inclusion. The firm implements structured processes to track and analyze talent pipelines, oversee business development teams, and engage in transparent knowledge sharing with law firms nationwide.
“Diversity and inclusion are foundational to our Firm’s culture,” said Erin Kilgore, chair of the firm’s diversity and inclusion council, in a press release. “We are proud to be recognized by one of the premier legal diversity programs as a partner actively working to close gender and diversity gaps within the legal profession. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Diversity Lab as we pursue certification for 2024-25.”
The Mansfield Certification process requires firms to consider at least 30% of women lawyers, lawyers from traditionally underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers for top leadership roles, senior-level lateral hiring, equity partnership promotions, and client development opportunities. Research indicates that firms committed to the Mansfield Certification process year after year are making significant strides in cultivating inclusive talent practices and diversifying leadership ranks.
The Mansfield Rule is named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to practice law in the United States over 150 years ago. The concept originated from the NFL’s Rooney Rule of 2003, which mandates the inclusion of diverse candidates in interviews for coaching and staff opportunities. This idea was further developed into the Mansfield Rule at the 2016 Women in Law hackathon, in collaboration with Bloomberg Law and Stanford Law School.