Hurwitz & Fine, P.C., a Buffalo-based multistate corporate and litigation defense firm, announces its participation in the 2021 – 2023 Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification class. The law firm is the only Western New York law firm to participate in the national diversity law firm certification process, which will last a rigorous 18 months, with certification designated in March 2023.
The overall goal of the Midsize Mansfield Rule is to increase the representation of diverse lawyers in leadership by broadening the pool of women, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and/or racial/ethnic minority lawyers who are considered for entry-level and lateral attorney job openings, leadership opportunities, equity partner promotions, and opportunities to connect with clients. The certification process aims to achieve this goal by doing four key things:
- Establishing tracking and documentation norms
- Expanding mindsets around who could be a leader
- Bringing transparency to historically opaque processes
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Working together as a community and sharing knowledge
“Our participation actively demonstrates Hurwitz & Fine’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion within the firm’s culture, its client service teams, and in its recruiting efforts,” said Jody Briandi, President/Managing Partner and Chair of Hurwitz & Fine’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. “Mansfield Certification is an important diversity certification for law firms, which more and more clients and businesses are looking for when selecting a firm.”
The firm has established a Mansfield Committee, which incorporates members of the firm’s’ leadership team in HR, Operations, Marketing and Board of Directors to spearhead this process.
“Participation in Mansfield Certification will help us to act with intentionality in our recruitment and advancement efforts, track important related diversity metrics, standardize processes and increase transparency—much of what we are already doing today,” continued Ms. Briandi. “Mansfield Rule Certification will help to hold us accountable for our diversity actions and efforts.”
According to Diversity Lab, who administers the program, key outcomes for firms that have participated in all three certification years include:
- 96% of firms said that after adopting the Mansfield Rule, their teams of lawyers participating in formal pitch meetings have become more diverse.
- 65% of firms reported that more underrepresented lawyers were appointed or elected to their Management/Executive Committee than prior to adopting Mansfield.
- 63% of firms said they have increased the percentage of underrepresented lawyers promoted into equity partnership since adopting Mansfield.
- 58% of firms reported that their lateral partner hiring pool was more diverse following the adoption of Mansfield.
More information about Hurwitz & Fine’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts can be found here.
About Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. – Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. provides high quality business and litigation counsel to clients in the Buffalo Niagara region through our corporate office in downtown Buffalo, and additional offices in Albion, Albany, Amherst, Connecticut, Niagara Falls, Melville, Palm Beach Gardens, Rochester/Utica, and Toronto.
Nationally, Hurwitz & Fine, P.C. has the highest ranking of “highly qualified” by the independent legal peer review and assessment agency Martindale Hubbell, and is listed in its Bar Register of Pre-Eminent Law Firms, which lists the top 5% most qualified law firms in the country. Hurwitz & Fine is one of the most highly regarded law firms in the state of New York, having been named the Top Midsize Law Firm in New York State by Super Lawyers Magazine Business Edition for excellence in Business and Litigation.
About Mansfield Rule Certification – The Mansfield Rule, administered by Diversity Lab, addresses the lack of female and diverse attorneys in positions of law firm leadership by setting benchmarks to measure whether firms have affirmatively considered at least 30 percent female lawyers, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions. The Midsize Mansfield Rule Certification was designed to increase the number of attorneys from historically underrepresented groups in leading U.S. law firms with 25 – 150 attorneys. The Mansfield Rule was named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States.
