• An informal DEI strategic plan utilizing MCCA’s best practice guides and tools. 
  • See Developing an Effective and Sustainable DEI Strategic Plan for additional guidance and contact membership@mcca.com for additional resources and assistance. 
• Provide the organization’s DEI mission statement. 
• For law firms: participate in MCCA’s annual Law Firm Diversity Surveys (the US and Global if applicable). 
• Communicate internally and externally the organization’s engagement and partnership with MCCA and other DEI-driven partner organizations on the website and intranet.
• Attend career fairs at law schools that have a higher concentration of underrepresented racial/ethnic students and beyond the traditional T14 to ensure that a larger pool of diverse attorneys is recruited. We also recommend attending career fairs at a variety of HBCUs. This ensures that law firms diversify their pipeline outreach (i.e., not just relying on the interview week that occurs at the top fourteen (14) law schools).  
• Post open positions on diverse job boards e.g., MCCA’s Hot Jobs, Job Bank, etc. 
• Implement recruiting bias interrupter into the hiring process and request HR and/or recruiters provide a diverse slate of candidates for open attorney positions.

To earn the Silver Seal, you must also complete the Bronze Seal requirements.

• A dedicated DEI Council, Committee, or Task Force, whose chief role and responsibility is promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization. 
• For legal departments: participate in MCCA’s Corporate Demographic Survey.  
• For legal departments: require outside counsel to participate in MCCA’s annual Law Firm Diversity Survey and Diversity Scorecard (Scorecard) and require outside counsel to provide a Scorecard for review and discussion. 
• For law firms: law firm diversity participants must receive a 90% score on the Diversity Scorecard for transparency.  
• A formal recruiting strategy to increase the number of women and diverse attorneys in the organization adhering to the guidelines outlined in MCCA’s bias interrupters research. See the Bias Interrupters Toolkit series for additional guidance and contact membership@mcca.com for additional resources and assistance. 
• Participate in diversity career fairs, e.g., MCCA’s Virtual Diversity Career Fair in the recruitment of diverse attorneys. 

To earn the Gold Seal you must also complete the Bronze and Silver Seal requirements. 

• A formal DEI strategic plan utilizing MCCA’s best practice guides and tools. 

A formal DEI strategy outlines the implementation of the organization’s DEI goals and objectives that promote DEI in the organization. It should demonstrate how the organization’s DEI strategic goals align with and improve the overall business strategy by stating specific, measurable steps you will take to implement the organization’s DEI strategy. A formal strategy includes but is not limited to the outline of programs and initiatives, developed processes to identity and measure metrics, and impact analysis. See Developing an Effective and Sustainable DEI Strategic Plan for additional guidance and contact membership@mcca.com for additional resources and assistance.

• For legal departments:  become a signatory to the MCCA Diversity Scorecard and utilize the Scorecard as a factor in their review of outside counsel DEI requirements. 
• For law firms: law firm diversity participants must receive a 100% score on the Diversity Scorecard for transparency. 
• For law firms: a dedicated full-time DEI professional, such as a Chief Diversity Officer or Senior Director of Diversity and Inclusion, or Director of Diversity and Inclusion whose chief role and responsibility is promoting diversity, equity and inclusion in the organization.  
• This position is distinguished from a partner who practices, and also serves as the department’s diversity and inclusion partner in addition to their book of business or legal work. A dedicated professional for DEI ensures that the hiring, and most importantly, the retention and promotion of diverse attorneys is this individual’s principal responsibility.  
• This individual is responsible for DEI strategy and execution, which includes establishing benchmarks, creating key performance indicators for success; and creating a culture of inclusion and belonging. This individual also serves as a liaison between MCCA and their organization and works to resolve DEI issues.  
• The DEI professional must have resources (financial, labor, and time) to develop and execute the DEI strategy. 
• Ensure the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO)/senior DEI professional reports directly to the Management Committee and not to the head of human resources (HR). DEI is not and should not be viewed only as improving an HR function. DEI strategy is part of a larger business strategy that should be part of every function, including management and board, which HR does not set.  
• For law firms: marketing, business development, human resources, and/or DEI teams are synchronized on DEI strategy (recruiting, retention and promotion) and client deliverables. For example, the groups meet quarterly to discuss messaging for clients, including pitches and requests for DEI information from clients or recruiting at career fairs or law schools. Moreover, formal educational courses for the aforementioned groups who are designing the DEI framework for their organization. 
• For legal departments: human resources, DEI team, marketing, and communications are synchronized with the legal department on enterprise-wide DEI strategy (recruiting, retention and promotion), For example, the groups meet quarterly to discuss internal and external messaging on DEI strategy and goals. Moreover, formal educational courses for the aforementioned groups who are designing the DEI framework for their organization. 

The Platinum Seal is our highest accreditation level, showing that your organization meets every single one of the outlined standards. To earn the Platinum you must also complete the Bronze, Silver, and Gold requirements.

• A formal succession plan that identifies high-performing underrepresented attorneys (Race/Ethnicity, Gender, Openly LGBTQ+, Individuals with Disabilities and Military Veterans) and transparently communicates the firm’s or department’s promotional requirements. 
• Continuous formal educational courses for leaders identifying opportunities to look past the status quo and generate the solutions and strategies leaders need to sustain DEI progress for the long run. Often, the CLO may focus on the organizational level, as that is where their fiduciary duty may lead them: championing supplier diversity efforts, partnering with HR and/or DEI on pay equity reviews, and building a diverse board of directors. However, their individual influence is just as powerful when they demonstrate equity in their promotions, their recognition efforts and sponsorship, and modeling the way as an inclusive leader. 
• A letter from the CEO, CLO and/or Firm Chair shared externally and internally outlining their commitment to effective and sustainable DEI strategies that support the recruitment, retention and promotion of diverse employees and a commitment to make corporate America as diverse as the world we live in.