Microsoft Selects MCCA Legal Scholars as Interns

Microsoft Selects MCCA Legal Scholars as Interns

Washington, DC − Microsoft Corporation has selected two Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. scholarship winners to work as interns at its Redmond, Washington, headquarters this summer. Sponsored by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), the scholarship program promotes academic excellence and diversity in law schools by helping students from disadvantaged backgrounds defray their educational expenses.

Gueter Aurelien, studying at the University of Miami School of Law, and Jill Mitchell, from the University of Kansas School of Law, will serve as interns with Microsoft’s Legal and Corporate Affairs Group. Working closely with Microsoft’s legal staff, their duties will include researching legal issues impacting business strategy, drafting transactional documents, attending client meetings and product reviews, and collaborating with internal teams on cross-group projects.

In 2010, Aurelien and Mitchell were named Fellows in the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. Fellows are awarded $10,000 during each of their three years of law school, and receive ongoing professional development support and mentoring. Their fellowships were funded by Microsoft.

The Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program was established in 2005 by MCCA and its supporters – corporate legal departments, law firms and legal services providers. The program was named for Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr., a visionary leader in the legal profession and founder of MCCA.

“Microsoft is dedicated to developing young talent,” said Jennifer Ivan, an Associate General Counsel with Microsoft. “We were pleased to help Ms. Aurelien and Ms. Mitchell take the first steps in their legal careers, and now we look forward to honing their new skills as they work with our legal team this summer.”

A Fortune 100 company, Microsoft Corporation is the worldwide leader in computer software and services for people and businesses. In its Global Diversity & Inclusion Vision Statement, the company pledges to be “led by a globally diverse workforce that consistently delivers outstanding business results, understands the various cultural demands of a global marketplace, is passionate about technology and the promise it holds to tap human potential, and thrives in a corporate culture where inclusive behaviors are valued.” Microsoft employs more than 88,000 people around the world and is headquartered in Redmond, Washington.

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.