Tucker Ellis LLP is proud to announce that it has joined more than 90 leading law firms in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada in partnering with Diversity Lab, administrator of the Mansfield Rule, to continue building a culture of inclusion for people with disabilities in the legal profession.

Diversity Lab’s Disability Inclusion Commitments provide ten actionable steps that organizations should take to increase inclusion and equitable access to opportunities for disabled individuals in the legal profession. As part of their commitment to disability inclusion, each participating firm has selected one or more actions to take in 2024 to build upon their current efforts. By joining this pledge, Tucker Ellis aims to cultivate a more inclusive and equitable culture for employees with disabilities.

“The statistics make it clear that disability inclusion is lacking in the legal profession, and we are determined to continue to do our part to help close that gap,” said Tucker Ellis Managing Partner Joe Morford. “Diversity Lab’s action items provide a framework for firms to strengthen their disability inclusion initiatives, and we look forward to partnering with Diversity Lab and other firms to expand our current efforts.”

The 10 actions were developed by Diversity Lab and its Disability Inclusion Advisory Group to promote stronger emphasis on disability inclusion in organization diversity efforts. The Advisory Group also created and is in the midst of facilitating quarterly webinars to raise awareness and educate more than 1,000 leaders from Mansfield law firms and legal departments on topics such as: (a) understanding disability language, definitions, and self-identification; (b) removing physical and digital barrers to accessibility; (c) establishing employee resource groups; and (d) supporting neurodiversity. To share these learnings with the entire legal profession, the webinars will be offered publicly.

“We are grateful to our Advisory Group and these firms for their collaboration and contributions,” said Diversity Lab CEO Caren Ulrich Stacy. “With 21% of the US workforce identifying as having a disability, but only 1.4% of law firm lawyers, more work is needed to create a welcoming environment and greater accessibility in the legal profession. Taking action on these commitments and sharing the learnings is the first step in a long-term campaign. Our team at Diversity Lab is also on this journey as we improve disability inclusion, including launching an updated, digitally accessible website early next year. We hope to educate the community on the unique perspectives, talents, and needs of people with disabilities to broaden inclusivity for all.”

About Diversity Lab

Diversity Lab is an incubator for innovative ideas and solutions that boost diversity and inclusion in law. Experimental ideas are created through our hackathons and piloted in collaboration with more than 300 top law firms and legal departments across the country. Diversity Lab leverages data, behavioral science, design thinking, and technology to further develop and test the ideas, measure the results, and share the lessons learned. Visit Diversity Lab’s website here to learn more.