EEOC and NLRB Renew Prestigious Attorney Honor Program
On August 30, 2005, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) hosted a signing ceremony to renew its interagency partnership with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for the Attorney Honor Program (AHP) that the two agencies have jointly offered since March 2000. This program’s objectives are to recruit, hire, and develop a diverse pool of talented entry-level attorneys who are looking for legal experience in civil rights or labor and employment law. A component of the program enables AHP attorneys the opportunity to work in different legal offices within both agencies.
The selection process is highly competitive. The EEOC and NLRB review a combined total of 300 to 400 applicants to select an average of only four to five AHP attorneys who receive the experience of working for both offices. Cari Dominguez, chair of the EEOC, stated, “That’s roughly a one percent acceptance rate, many times tougher than [getting into] the toughest law school.”
Chair Dominguez was pleased with the progress of the program, stating, “The Attorney Honor Program has proven a real success story of the federal government, and we’re thrilled to renew our partnership with the NLRB. Through the program, we have developed skilled legal policy experts and litigators who will help us advance toward the goal of a discrimination-free American workplace.”
NLRB chairman Robert Battista also praised the program, stating, “Our agencies’ Honor Programs have served well to attract the best and the brightest new attorneys to public service in the highly charged field of labor and employment law. It is my hope and expectation that this cooperative endeavor between the NLRB and the EEOC will lead to other joint programs that will provide us with further opportunities to better serve the public.”
Chair Dominguez and chair Battista signed a Memorandum of Understanding that extended this interagency agreement until December 31, 2007.
Those interested in applying for this program must possess a background in law. Most applicants come into the program as third-year law students, judicial law clerks, or graduate law students. Selection criteria for the Attorney Honor Program include class rank, published work, academic achievement, and extracurricular activities such as legal clinic work or summer/part-time employment experiences. Juris doctorate graduates must have passed the bar examination and be licensed to practice as an attorney in any state or territory of the United States or the District of Columbia. Each applicant must also make a three-year commitment to the agency. Those interested in applying can obtain application materials and deadlines from either agency’s web site at www.eeoc.gov/soars/jobs-honor.html or www.nlrb.gov.
MCCA® THANKS DONALD G. KEMPF, JR.
MCCA Board Member and Diversity Supporter
Donald G. Kempf, Jr., the former executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary of Morgan Stanley, submitted his resignation from the MCCA board of directors, following his retirement from Morgan Stanley earlier this year. Kempf served on MCCA’s board of directors since June 2004. He also served for two years as the chair of the Committee to Enhance Diversity in the Profession for the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Kempf’s commitment to advancing diversity is greatly appreciated and MCCA is a better organization as a result of his many contributions.
Kempf was the 2004 recipient of the “Stephen E. Banner” Award, which is given by the UJA-Federation of New York’s Corporate Counsel Group to top in-house counsel who are involved with philanthropy organizations.
Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 1999, Kempf was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, where he had been an attorney since his graduation from law school. He received his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School in 1965, and a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University in 1959. He also received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1989.
ANNOUNCING MCCA’S 2006 EVENTS
Save the date! We look forward to seeing you in 2006 at our dynamic events. Mark your calendars now and plan to network your way to success in 2006.
- The South/Southwest region diversity dinner will be held in Houston at the Intercontinental Hotel on February 23, 2006.
- The Midwest region diversity dinner will be held in Chicago at the Marriott Chicago Downtown on March 15, 2006.
- The 5th Annual CLE Expo will be held in Chicago at the Marriott Chicago Downtown on March 15–17, 2006.
- The 3rd Annual General Counsel Invitational will be held in Miami at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa on April 7–9, 2006.
- The Mid-Atlantic region diversity dinner will be held in Washington, DC at the JW Marriott on June 13, 2006.
- The Western region diversity dinner will be announced at a later date.
- The 7th Annual Creating Pathways to Diversity conference will be held in New York City at the Marriott Marquis tentatively on November 8, 2006.
- The Northeast region diversity dinner will be held in New York City at the Marriott Marquis tentatively on November 8, 2006.
HOT JOBS
On the last Friday of every month, MCCA® sends an email blast to its network consisting of Hot Job announcements. If you are an employer who would like to submit a job announcement for inclusion in the blast, please forward a brief listing that has no more than 1000 characters to chadbrandl@mcca.com by the 20th of each month.
All submissions should include your company’s name, title of position, location of job, and contact information for how to apply. The service is free. MCCA will make every effort to include all submissions. This service is provided as a supplement to the MCCA Job Bank, which allows employers to self-post their job announcements so that candidates can view them for free online.
EEOC ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2006“FREEDOM TO COMPETE” AWARD
Cari M. Dominguez, chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), has launched the EEOC’s second annual “Freedom to Compete” Award. The agency will accept nominations through Jan.18, 2006. The chair will present the distinguished award in June to employers, organizations, or other entities that have demonstrated results through best practices in promoting fair and open competition in the workplace. The award is part of the EEOC’s Freedom to Compete Initiative, a national outreach, education, and coalition-building campaign to provide free and unfettered access to employment opportunities for all individuals. “The Freedom to Compete Award is about showcasing, recognizing, and rewarding a specific practice that produces results; a practice that sets an example and reflects abiding commitment to access and inclusion in the workplace,” says Chair Dominguez. Last year, MCCA® was one of the recipients of this prestigious award.
The six award recipients in 2005 covered a range of industries and professions, including high tech, manufacturing, insurance, retail/distribution, law, and public service. Nominations for the 2006 awards may be made by the public or an entity may nominate itself. Information about the nomination submission criteria, procedures, and previous award winners is available on the EEOC’s web site at www.eeoc.gov. A feature article by Chair Dominguez on the Freedom to Compete Award is scheduled to appear in the January/February 2006 issue of Diversity & the Bar®.
MCCA® ANNOUNCES 5TH ANNUAL CLE EXPO CONFERENCE MARCH 15–17, 2006
Save the date! Join MCCA on March 15–17, 2006 at the Marriott Chicago Downtown for one of its most important events—the 5th Annual CLE Expo.
The CLE Expo is a premier CLE conference designed to provide corporate counsel a top-notch educational experience, in addition to outstanding networking that is maximized by limiting outside counsel registration to ensure an equal balance between the number of lawyers from corporations and law firms. With over 25 different sessions organized into five program tracks: labor and employment, litigation, corporate, intellectual property, and value-added management, the CLE Expo offers an unmatched opportunity to keep abreast of the trends, new regulations, and legal developments you need to know in order to better serve your corporate clients.
CORPORATE COUNSEL WOMEN OF COLOR HOLDSFIRST N.Y. CONFERENCE
(L to R): Laurie N. Robinson, assistant general counsel, CBS Broadcasting Inc. and founder, Corporate Counsel Women of Color, presents award to Debra Martin Chase, CEO, Martin Chase Productions
Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC), a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization consisting of over 1,000 women attorneys of color who work primarily for Fortune 1000 and Forbes 2000 legal departments in the United States and abroad, held its First Annual Career Strategies Conference at the Hilton New York September 28–30, 2005. The organization was formed in 2004 to promote diversity in the legal profession. Harvard-trained lawyer turned Hollywood hit-making producer, Debra Martin Chase, delivered the keynote address to nearly 400 attendees. Chase, who is a strong advocate of the positive portrayal of people of color and diversity in media, was honored with the very first CCWC Diamond Award of Excellence in recognition of her outstanding career achievements in law and film.
From the November/December 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar®