WASHINGTON - The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. has adopted the American Bar AssociationÃâs pledge to promote the inclusion of disabled persons in the legal profession.
By becoming a signatory of ÃâDisability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change,Ãâ the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) commits itself to creating opportunities for the employment and advancement of legal professionals affected by Ãâmental, physical, and sensory disabilities.Ãâ MCCA will do this within its own staff and will encourage its member organizations to do the same.
ÃâThe Pledge for Change complements MCCAÃâs mission to advance diversity,Ãâ said Executive Director Veta T. Richardson. ÃâPeople with disabilities make valuable contributions to our society every day, and itÃâs important to make sure they have a seat at the table to contribute as members of the legal profession.Ãâ
The pledge was created by the American Bar AssociationÃâs Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law in response to the lack of lawyers with disabilities in the profession. Dozens of major legal employers Ãâ including law firms, corporate legal departments and law associations Ãâ have demonstrated their support by signing on. MCCAÃâs adoption was championed by its Board of DirectorsÃâ Advocacy Committee, chaired by Hinton J. Lucas, Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Chief Administrative Counsel for the DuPont Company.
ÃâEnlisting support of this pledge by my colleagues on the MCCA Board of Directors was largely a Ãâno brainerÃâ for MCCA,Ãâ said Hinton. ÃâFirst and foremost, it is consistent with our mission to advance diversity. Also, the pledge reflects our belief that the legal profession must be diverse in order to best serve the needs of our clients. So attorneys with disabilities must be included.Ãâ
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association advocates for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys in corporate 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. MCCAÃâs 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.