MCCA Announces Finalists for the 2018 Thomas L. Sager Award

Washington, D.C. – Today, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) announced the three finalists for the Thomas L. Sager Award.

“We are proud to honor this year’s finalists for their incredible accomplishments and continuing dedication to creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces,” said Jean Lee, MCCA President and CEO. “This award recognizes law firms who are leaders amongst their peers – those that consistently strive to advance the careers of diverse lawyers, invest in inclusive leaders, and develop policies that promote equity in their organizations.”

The Thomas L. Sager Award recognizes Am Law 200 law firms that have championed diversity, encouraged equity and inclusion across the organization, and have committed to hiring, retaining, and promoting diverse attorneys. Winners are selected based on rigorous review and scoring of the nominees’ efforts across recruitment, retention, professional development, promotion, and other innovative practices that break down barriers to entry for minorities in the legal profession.

“The Sager award honors firms that are leading the charge to create more diverse and equitable workplaces in the legal field,” said A.B. Cruz, MCCA Board Chair and Senior Vice President of Enterprise Shared Services for the Chief Legal Office at USAA. “These firms represent not only the most respected firms in the legal industry, but also the most progressive in terms of culture, representation, and professional development. They are the prime examples of how firms can help to change perceptions of diversity and inclusion in the legal field.”

The 2018 Thomas L. Sager Award finalists are:

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP: Morgan Lewis has worked tirelessly to break down the barriers to entry in the legal field. Through the ML Diversity Scholarship, they have helped second- and third-year law students from underrepresented groups who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need attain their law degree. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is a global law firm with over 2,000 attorneys in 30 offices in North America, Europe and Asia.

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP: Orrick rigorously tracks progress on its diversity and inclusion efforts internally holding itself accountable through a scorecard that measures the efficacy of its initiatives and the development of a robust plan to promote women and diverse attorneys. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is a global firm focused on serving clients in the technology, energy, infrastructure and finance sectors.

Proskauer Rose LLP: Proskauer’s diversity and inclusion efforts begin early, reaching underrepresented students in high school to help them see the possibilities of becoming a lawyer. The firm is heavily involved in affinity organizations supporting events, programs, and scholarships for law students nationwide. Proskauer Rose LLP is an international law firm headquartered in New York City.

The winner of the Sager Award will be announced at MCCA’s Diversity Gala on October 3rd. The finalists will also be recognized for their achievements at MCCA’s annual gala.

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The Minority Corporate Counsel Association was founded in 1997 with the purpose of making the next generation of legal leaders as diverse as the world we live in. From publishing research insights to providing professional development opportunities to offering advisory services, today MCCA is the preeminent voice on diversity and inclusion in the legal industry. MCCA empowers members with the tools needed to disrupt business as usual – and to blaze a path forward for their company, industry and corporate America.