Charlotte, NC – Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP is pleased to announce the firm is pursuing Mansfield Rule certification from Diversity Lab, which aims to increase and sustain diversity in law firm leadership. Parker Poe is participating in the rule 6.0 certification process running from July 2022 to July 2023.
The certification effort is focused on four historically underrepresented groups in the legal profession: women, racial and ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ people, and people with disabilities. Rule 6.0 certification requires law firms to consider at least 30% underrepresented talent when appointing to leadership roles and promoting into the equity partnership, among a dozen other activities that focus on the path to leadership.
Parker Poe will also share lessons learned with other participating firms through monthly knowledge sharing forums. The firm must continue to meet routine check-in, data-collection, and reporting milestones as well.
The pursuit of Mansfield Rule certification is the next step in a process Parker Poe started more than 15 years ago, when it was one of the first firms in the Southeast to set up central oversight of diversity initiatives. This year, the firm created a C-suite role overseeing all aspects of talent management, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) – reflecting the firm’s commitment to those matters at the highest levels.
“After detailed conversations with our clients and peers in the legal profession, we determined that pursuing Mansfield Rule certification would be a meaningful step in advancing our overall DEI efforts,” Chief Talent, Diversity & Inclusion Officer Shalanna Pirtle says. “It also fits into our new data initiatives that will enable us to get a quicker, clearer view of where we are having success – and where we need to make improvements – in getting diverse talent in the pipeline and up the leadership chain.”
You can learn more about Mansfield Rule 6.0 certification here.
About Parker Poe
Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein LLP has more than 275 lawyers in eight offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington, DC. The firm provides legal counsel to many of the largest companies and local governments in the Southeast.
Parker Poe is a member of two leading international legal networks: TerraLex and the Employment Law Alliance. TerraLex and the ELA have chosen Parker Poe to help guide clients through the challenges of global business.