MCCA Announces Law Firm Affiliate Network

Minority Corporate Counsel Association Announces Law Firm Affiliate Network

Washington, DC − The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. (MCCA) has launched the Law Firm Affiliate Network (FAN) to assist and acknowledge law firms that are committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Firms of all sizes are invited to join the network, which will help affiliates strengthen their diversity programs and meet the growing diversity expectations of top clients.

MCCA’s decision to launch this new service is based upon a desire to be responsive to its stakeholders. “Through our annual surveys conducted in cooperation with the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals (ALFDP), we asked law firm diversity managers and directors about the types of information, resources, and services they wished were available to support their work,” explained MCCA Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. “They reported a desire for more substantive, affordable, easily accessible resources, and the ability to share ideas, information, and best practices. In response to this need, MCCA has launched the Law Firm Affiliate Network.”

Participation in FAN is limited to law firms that have demonstrated a genuine commitment to diversity. Prospects must submit an application which affirms their commitment to 10 Basic Principles, which MCCA research has determined to be basic hallmarks to advancing diversity. In addition to such factors as senior level commitment, recruitment, mentoring, and work/life balance programs, MCCA also requires:

• Adoption of a fully-inclusive non-discrimination policy
• Existence of a formal diversity plan and a standing diversity committee or team
• Management and monitoring of work assignments to ensure diverse attorneys are given opportunities to work with on top client matters
• Inclusion of diverse attorneys on business development pitches and when new business results, inclusion of diverse attorneys on the team that does the work. FAN’s annual dues are based on law firm size, ranging from $1,000 for firms with fewer than 10 attorneys to $12,500 for firms of one thousand or more attorneys.

In designing the benefits a firm receives for participation, MCCA seeks to distinguish FAN law firms from the pack. As a result, the benefits focus on helping firms strengthen their diversity programs and gain a business development advantage for their diverse attorneys:

• Use of MCCA’s Law Firm Affiliate Network logo for business cards, ads, websites, etc.
• Listing as a FAN on the MCCA website. This list will be regularly circulated to MCCA member companies so they know which firms have made this level of commitment.
• Access to an online library of diversity resources that is available only to chief diversity professionals of FAN firms to support of their diversity initiatives.
• Inclusion of diverse attorneys’ bios and practice expertise in an online directory of outside counsel that MCCA’s in-house counsel members may search to identify diverse outside counsel to hire to represent the company.
• Special e-newsletters containing diversity trends, statistics, article links, and information on in-house counsel promotions.

For more information about MCCA’s Law Firm Affiliate Network or to fill out the online application, please see www.mcca.com. Further inquiries about FAN may be directed to David Chu, Director of Membership and Development, at 202-739-5906 or davidchu@mcca.com.

The mission of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association is to advance the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA furthers its mission by publishing diversity research, developing best practices 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 several leading organizations including the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar 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.