MCCA Gala to Honor Nation’s Leaders in Legal Diversity and Inclusion

Minority Corporate Counsel Association Gala to Honor Nation’s Leaders in Legal Diversity and Inclusion
Sunny Hostin, CNN Legal Analyst and ABC News Anchor, to Host Lincoln Center Event

Washington, D.C. – Bringing the legal community together to celebrate advancements in diversity and inclusion, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) will hold its annual Diversity Honors Gala on September 11 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. During the gala, corporate legal departments and law firms from across the country will be recognized for their contributions, and MCCA will bestow its prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award.

Hosting the event will be Sunny Hostin, a former federal prosecutor, multiplatform journalist, CNN legal analyst and contributor for In Session on TruTV. She is also an anchor on ABC News’ World News Now and America This Morning.

The evening will begin with red-carpet arrivals followed by the awards program in the Starr Theater that combines honors with entertainment, concluding with an elegant VIP Reception in Alice Tully Hall. Five Employers of Choice – one each from five different regions of the country – will be recognized. 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 who implement outstanding diversity programs.

One person will be honored with MCCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The recipient will be someone who has made important and lasting contributions to advancing a society that fully appreciates, celebrates and recognizes the value of diversity. In 2011, MCCA awarded its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award to civil rights leader Vernon Jordan.

The Diversity Honors Gala is being organized by a prestigious steering committee that includes Craig Barnes of Sedgwick LLP, Robert E. Bostrom of SNR Denton US LLP, Marcus V. Brown of Entergy Services, Inc., Sharon Bowen from Latham & Watkins, R. Bruce McLean of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Jim Rowader from Target Corporation, Thomas L. Sager of DuPont Company and Brad Smith of Microsoft Corporation.

The cost of the gala will be underwritten by sponsorships. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has committed $50,000 in support, and MCCA welcomes other sponsors.

“The legal profession has made great strides in diversity and inclusion, thanks to the tireless dedication of many people,” said Joseph K. West, MCCA’s President and CEO. “At the gala, we will recognize individuals and organizations who have made extraordinary contributions and serve as an example and inspiration to us all.”

To learn more about MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.mcca.com or contact Jennifer Chen, Vice President – External Relations, at JenChen@mcca.com or 202-739-5902.

The mission of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association is to advance the hiring, retention, and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA furthers its mission by publishing research on achieving diversity and best practices in the legal profession, honoring innovative diversity programs with its Employer of Choice and Thomas L. Sager awards, and assisting diverse law students through the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National Gay and Lesbian Law Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Founded in 1997, MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has a Southeast regional office in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, go to mcca.com.