Dinsmore &Shohl LLP issued the following announcement on Sept. 13.
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP has earned Mansfield Rule 4.0 Certification Plus for the 2021 iteration of the diverse leadership hiring initiative. Mansfield Rule 4.0, facilitated by Diversity Lab, required law firms to consider at least 30 percent women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities for leadership roles.
Not only did Dinsmore reach that mark, but its Plus certification status indicates that it also filled at least 30 percent of select leadership roles with diverse candidates. The Plus certification also awards an opportunity for two diverse attorneys to pitch the firm’s services to Diversity Lab’s member corporations.
“This recognition reflects our deepening diversity and inclusion efforts and illustrates how they are affecting our leadership and culture,” said Dinsmore Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer Tammy Bennett, who also serves on the Mansfield Rule Advisory Board. “We are pleased with the impact our diverse additions in leadership have made by sharing their lived cultural experiences with the rest of the firm.”
But Dinsmore is far from satisfied with what it has achieved to date when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion. As the firm continues to strengthen in these areas, it has committed to Mansfield Rule 5.0, which now includes consideration of diverse non-attorneys in law firm leadership, including C-suite members like human resources, marketing and business development officers.
“This year, we were able to more fully assess both our systemic issues and opportunities,” Bennett said. “We know there’s still work to be done, and committing to 5.0 allows us to dig deeper as we improve our policies and procedures to make Dinsmore’s diversity, equity and inclusion program even more meaningful and sustainable.”
The firm’s 4.0 Plus certification and 5.0 commitment follow a tradition of diversity-focused recognitions and initiatives for the firm. In May, Dinsmore partnered with Procter & Gamble and the Ohio Innocence Project at Cincinnati Law to create a fellowship for a diverse recent law school graduate to gain experience in civil rights litigation and policy-making. The same month, the firm launched its Pre-Law Minority Program to help students of color at four Kentucky universities. Dinsmore is also a member of Diversity Best Practices and is annually recognized by the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity as a Top Performer.
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