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Nutter Adopts Mansfield Rule to Increase Diversity in Firm Leadership
Print PDFNutter announced today that it is participating in the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule, as part of the firm’s commitment to consider a broad and diverse pool of candidates for significant leadership roles.
“Diversity and inclusion at all levels within our firm has been a priority for us, and this national initiative is consistent with the firm’s commitment to promoting a diverse and vibrant workplace,” stated Nutter Co-Managing Partner Liam T. O’Connell. Co-Managing Partner Michael E. Scott added that, “Adopting the Mansfield Rule will help make us stronger as a firm and better positioned to meet our clients’ needs in the coming years.”
The Mansfield Rule initiative includes a commitment by Nutter to be transparent in its internal governance, particularly as it relates to selection guidelines and job descriptions for existing management roles and committees. To be designated a certified Mansfield Rule law firm, Nutter must meet certain measurable objectives over the next twelve months.
The Mansfield Rule was one of the winning ideas from the 2016 Women in Law Hackathon, hosted by Diversity Lab in collaboration with Bloomberg Law and Stanford Law School. It is named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the practice of law in the United States.
Nutter’s participation in the Mansfield Rule follows its membership in the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Pacesetters Program, a partnership of large and midsized Greater Boston Chamber member organizations who have committed to leveraging their collective purchasing power to create opportunities for local enterprises of color. Together, Pacesetter companies work to set aspirational goals to enhance their individual existing supplier diversity programs and inspire the entire business community to do the same.
Nutter’s diversity efforts are led by its Diversity and Inclusion Committee, which is co-chaired by Partners Julia Satti Cosentino and Ian Roffman, and comprised of both current and former members of the firm’s Executive, Legal Personnel, and Hiring Committees. The Diversity and Inclusion Committee establishes firm-wide expectations and policies on issues related to diversity and inclusion and directs the work of numerous subcommittees that create and implement initiatives that promote an inclusive firm culture. Additionally, the Committee promotes the recruitment and retention of professionals and staff from historically underrepresented groups; applies best practices from other institutions and industries; challenges the status quo; assesses the firm’s successes; and identifies areas for improvement. Member of these subcommittees includes partners, associates, and staff, with all members actively participating in diversity and inclusion efforts.
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About Nutter
Nutter is a Boston-based law firm that provides legal counsel to industry-leading companies, early stage entrepreneurs, institutions, foundations, and families, across the country and around the world. The firm’s business and finance, intellectual property, litigation, real estate and land use, labor and employment, tax, and trusts and estates practices are national in scope. The firm was co-founded in 1879 by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis, before his appointment to the Court. For more information, please visit www.nutter.com and follow the firm on LinkedIn.
