MCCA Diversity Gala Coming to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

MCCA Diversity Gala Coming to John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
National Awards Program Honors Leaders in Legal Diversity

WASHINGTON D.C. – The MCCA Diversity Gala, the premier awards program honoring leaders in the legal profession for diversity and inclusion, will be held for the first time at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Scheduled for July 25, the Gala will recognize legal departments and law firms from across the country, and MCCA will bestow its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Gala is hosted by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the nation’s leading advocate for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys. The three previous Galas, all held at the Lincoln Center in New York City, were sellouts.

The awards program will begin at 7:30 PM in the Eisenhower Theater and will combine honors with entertainment, concluding with an elegant VIP Reception in the Nations Gallery and the Roof Terrace Restaurant. Five corporate legal departments will be recognized as Employers of Choice – each from a different region of the country. They will be honored for demonstrating an exemplary commitment to diversity and creating and maintaining an inclusive workplace.

MCCA will also recognize diversity innovators, corporate legal departments, law firms or legal bar associations that implement outstanding diversity programs.

One person will be honored with MCCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This award is given to someone who has made important and lasting contributions to advancing a society that fully appreciates, celebrates and recognizes the value of diversity. Previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include Ursula M. Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox Corporation (2013); Dennis W. Archer, former Detroit mayor and Associate Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court (2012); and civil rights leader Vernon Jordan (2011).

The cost of the Gala will be underwritten by sponsorships. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is supporting the event as an Underwriter Sponsor, and MCCA welcomes other participants.

“Many law firms and law departments make outstanding efforts to provide greater opportunities for diverse attorneys, resulting in a more representative and effective legal workforce,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA’s President and CEO. “The Diversity Gala celebrates their achievements in building a stronger professional community.”

“Moving to The Kennedy Center allows us to better honor them by expanding the Gala and making it accessible to more people,” West continued. “The move also highlights how prestigious the Gala has become in its short history.”

To learn more about the MCCA Diversity Gala and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.mcca.com/gala.

About MCCA
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C. For more information, go to mcca.com.

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