For the fifth consecutive year, Baker Donelson has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus status. More than 360 law firms earned Mansfield Certification for the 2023 – 24 period, marking a 13 percent increase from the nearly 320 firms certified the previous year.
Mansfield is a year-long, structured certification process designed to ensure all qualified talent at participating law firms have a fair and equal opportunity to be considered for advancement into leadership roles. The focus is on "opening the door wider" and ensuring that opportunities for advancement are transparent and inclusive for everyone. Mansfield expands opportunities, fostering growth without imposing limitations.
Mansfield Certification Plus is an added designation reserved for firms that voluntarily report the outcomes of their inclusive processes. More than half of the 360+ law firms opted into "Mansfield Certification Plus" this year.
Baker Donelson's Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Mark A. Baugh said, "We're proud of our Firm's steadfast commitment to the Mansfield certification process. While Mansfield's certification criteria have grown increasingly challenging each year, we have consistently recommitted to the core principles of transparency, accountability, and knowledge sharing because of our dedication to Baker Donelson being an inclusive and equitable workplace."
Mansfield's data-driven process has transformed how many participating firms operate. Before Mansfield, fewer than half had transparent leadership job descriptions or advancement processes and less than a quarter tracked the diversity of their leadership pipelines.