Foster Swift Achieves Mansfield Certification 2023-2024 by Diversity Lab

Lansing, Mich. – Diversity Lab, an international organization dedicated to advancing DEI has recognized Foster Swift Collins & Smith, PC as Mansfield Certified Plus. This is the second consecutive year Foster Swift has earned this distinction.  

Mansfield is a year-long structured certification process designed to ensure all qualified talent at participating law firms have a fair and equal opportunity to be considered for advancement into leadership roles. The focus is on “opening the door wider” and ensuring that opportunities for advancement are transparent and inclusive for everyone.

As Mansfield’s certification criteria grows increasingly challenging each year, firms have consistently recommitted to the core principles of transparency, accountability, and knowledge sharing, including:

• Contributing to monthly group knowledge-sharing meetings and attending expert-led legal workshops to ensure the lawful implementation of Mansfield’s principles.
• Broadening the pool of talent considered for dozens of leadership roles and activities, with at least 30% of the lawyers considered consisting of underrepresented lawyers across 75% of opportunities.
• Submitting certification data, transparent processes, and a signed affirmation from the managing partner at the end of each certification year.

Additionally, Foster Swift has earned the designation of Mid-Sized Mansfield Certified Plus, a designation reserved for firms that voluntarily report the outcomes of their inclusive processes. The firm was listed among a number of others as a “Trendsetter” – firms that have achieved certification and remained committed for 2-4 years.

This data-driven process has transformed how many participating firms operate. Before Mansfield, fewer than half had transparent leadership job descriptions or advancement processes and less than a quarter tracked the diversity of their leadership pipelines:

• Over 75% of the firms have significantly increased diversity in client pitch teams, lateral partner hires, and equity partner promotions.
• Firms with five or more years of Mansfield Certification have doubled the racial and ethnic diversity in their management committees.
• Mansfield Certified firms lead the way with a 41% growth rate in underrepresented racial and ethnic equity partners, compared to just 16% at non-Mansfield firms.
• The number of women equity partners at Mansfield Certified firms is growing at nearly three times the rate of non-Mansfield firms (20% vs. 7% growth rate).

Since 1968, Foster Swift has actively fostered diversity by recruiting co-op students from local high schools with diverse student populations, believing that a diverse workforce enhances our ability to serve our communities effectively. In 1993, the firm established a dedicated diversity committee that continues to this day to guide internal diversity training, policy development, and community support.