October 18, 2022: Procopio has for the second straight year achieved a coveted Mansfield Certification Plus recognition from legal diversity incubator Diversity Lab, its top diversity ranking. Procopio was recognized as a Mansfield 5.0 Certification Plus firm for not only taking deliberate steps to expand the list of those considered for leadership positions, but also achieving diverse leadership representation. The Plusrecognition for 2021 and 2022 follows Procopio first achieving Mansfield certification in 2020.  Procopio collaborated with Diversity Lab over a 12-month certification period with built-in measurement, transparency, and accountability mechanisms to achieve this recognition.

“We’re honored to again be among a select number of U.S. law firms achieving Mansfield Certification Plus recognition,” said Procopio Managing Partner John D. Alessio. “Achieving Plus status two years in a row confirms we’re creating internal systems designed to best serve our attorneys and clients through embracing diversity in all of our operations.”

The Mansfield Rule asks law firms to consider at least 30% historically underrepresented lawyers – women lawyers, underrepresented racial and/or ethnic lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, and/or lawyers with disabilities – when appointing to leadership roles, promoting to equity partnership, and more. They are asked to create and publish job descriptions and appointment/election policies for leadership roles, as well. Firms also must share lessons learned through monthly knowledge sharing forums, to ensure that all firms are working as a community to move the needle on DEI in the legal profession, and they must meet routine check-in, data-collection, and reporting milestones.

The firm’s Mansfield compliance program is led by the leader of Procopio’s Health Care and Trade Secrets practices Mindy Morton, who also leads the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Mindy has long been active in promoting diversity in the legal profession, including participation in ChIPs, a non-profit focused on promoting female attorneys in intellectual property law.

“I’m proud to be a partner in a firm that values diversity, equity and inclusion,” Mindy said. “Our participation in the Mansfield Rule program allows us to identify in what areas we are meeting our goals and where we need improvement. Procopio remains committed to recruitment and inclusion efforts focused on meaningful change.”

Diversity Lab describes itself as an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. It leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test new ideas and research, measure the results, and share the lessons learned. The Mansfield Rule is named after Arabella Mansfield, the first woman admitted to the bar in the United States.

Procopio has received many other accolades for its diversity and inclusion efforts in recent years. Starting in 2017 Law360 has ranked Procopio among top mid-size law firms for attorney diversity in its annual Diversity Snapshot, and it has frequently appeared in similar lists compiled by American Lawyer magazine among AmLaw 200 firms. In 2020 Procopio was named by the San Diego Business Journal a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award winner.