Ballard Spahr Achieves Mansfield Plus Certification for 2023-2024

Ballard Spahr has achieved Mansfield Plus Certification for the 2023-2024 period in recognition of the firm’s successful efforts to diversify its leadership, the Diversity Lab announced today.

The certification from Diversity Lab—a well-known incubator for innovations that boost diversity and inclusion in law—verifies that Ballard Spahr considers a broad pool of talented individuals for leadership roles and activities, with at least 30 percent of the lawyers considered consisting of underrepresented groups, across 75 percent of opportunities and within a transparent advancement process.

Ballard Spahr’s “Plus” designation indicates that the firm voluntarily provided data demonstrating successful outcomes of these efforts. Ballard Spahr is also recognized in today’s announcement among the “Early Adopters” of Mansfield Certification—firms that have achieved certification for at least the past five years.

“We know from experience and research that diverse leadership and teams create more innovative approaches to address challenges and opportunities for clients and the firm,” said Virginia G. Essandoh, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Ballard Spahr. “Making sure our firm is a place where everyone has the opportunity to succeed makes us stronger and helps us serve our clients and communities better.”

Additionally, Ballard Spahr is already engaged in the process of pursuing certification for 2024-2025.

Diversity Lab created and administers Mansfield Certification, a year-long structured process designed to ensure that all qualified individuals at participating law firms have a transparent, fair, and equal opportunity to be considered for advancement into leadership. The focus is on “opening the door wider” and ensuring that opportunities are inclusive of everyone and not limited or restricted for anyone. More than 360 law firms earned Mansfield Certification for the 2023–24 period, a 13 percent increase over the previous period, with the majority already pursuing certification for 2024-2025, as well. Mansfield-certified firms lead the way with a 41 percent growth rate in underrepresented racial and ethnic equity partners, compared to just 16 percent at non-Mansfield firms, Diversity Lab reported.

For media inquiries, please contact Bill Shralow at 215.864.8195.