In recognition of our commitment to diversity and inclusion, Severson & Werson has achieved Mansfield 3.0 Certification. To be certified, the Mansfield Rule requires that at least 30% of the candidates considered for leadership and governance roles, equity partner promotions, formal client pitch opportunities, and senior lateral positions, be traditionally underrepresented lawyers – women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and lawyers with disabilities.
“This was a significant step toward demonstrating the firm’s commitment to diversity and inclusion” said Rhonda L. Nelson, Severson & Werson’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. “But it is only a first step. The firm is committed to doing more to improve the experiences of all diverse attorneys to ensure everyone believes they have opportunities for professional development and a successful career at Severson.”
Severson & Werson is one of 100 firms that participated in the program. Certification requires that firms collect and track data relating to their inclusion efforts, collaborate with participating firms through monthly group knowledge sharing meetings, and develop and make available to all firm lawyers specific election or appointment guidelines for at least 50% of firm leadership and committee roles.
“I believe I speak for management and all of the firm’s members when I say we appreciate the opportunity the Diversity Lab gave us to build upon our ongoing efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive culture at Severson,” said Mary Kate Sullivan, the firm’s Managing Partner. Our participation in the Mansfield Rule provided us with a comprehensive framework by which we built internal processes and collaborated with other participating firms to thoughtfully and purposefully pursue our diversity initiatives to achieve our long-standing goal of a more inclusive workplace for all.”
In its continuing effort to foster diversity, Severson & Werson is participating in the inaugural iteration of the Mid-Size Mansfield Rule, a version of the program tailored for mid-size firms which runs from September 15, 2020 to March 15, 2022.
The Mansfield Rule was inspired by a winning idea at the 2016 Women In Law Hackathon, and is modeled after the NFL’s “Rooney Rule,” a policy that requires league teams to interview ethnic-minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs. The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to boost the representation of diverse lawyers in law firm leadership by broadening the pool of candidates considered for these opportunities.
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Severson & Werson is an Institutional Law Firm with over 75 years of experience delivering sound legal counsel, fierce advocacy, cost-effective trial results, and shortened resolution times throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Orange County. Our award-winning business, financial services, insurance, construction, employment, real estate, and banking attorneys have been an integral part of the growth and health of the modern banking, financial services, and insurance industries nationwide.