MCCA Diversity Commitment
SMALL AND MID-SIZE LAW FIRM
STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY
We, the undersigned law firms of 150 attorneys or less, recognize the importance of diversity in our workplaces. Diverse environments allow us to provide the best possible representation to our clients. Diversity in our midst allows us to provide our partners, members, associates and employees a broader, richer and more rewarding work environment. We believe that diversity in the legal profession is in the profession's best interests as well as our own and that achieving diversity must be a paramount goal for all responsible members.
Because of the small number of attorneys in our firms and the slower rate at which we hire, it may be difficult to track the success of many of the larger national law firms. Nevertheless, our commitment is essential to achieving diversity in our profession. Through this Statement of Commitment and the setting and accomplishment of the tangible objectives contained in the accompanying Statement of Goals, we challenge ourselves to advance the broad goals of diversity in our firms and in the legal profession.
There are many ways to promote diversity in our profession. The hiring, training, mentoring and promotion of lawyers of diverse color and gender are foremost. Funding educational opportunities for students of color is an essential step to create more and better opportunities for these individuals. Diversity is not merely a "checkbook" issue accomplished by contributions. Our time, energy and personal commitment are necessary to achieve real diversity. Toward that end, we acknowledge that is our responsibility to actively mentor law students of color so that each is best positioned to take advantage of the broadest range of career opportunities.
By our signatures below, we hereby acknowledge our commitment to these most profound objectives.
Butler Rubin Saltarelli & Boyd
Chicago, Illinois
STATEMENT OF CRITERIA FOR ACHIEVING RECOGNITION BY THE MINORITY CORPORATE COUNSEL ASSOCIATION AS A SMALL TO MID-SIZE LAW FIRM COMMITTED TO DIVERSITY
Annually, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) will publish a report to its corporate members identifying the firms of 150 attorneys or less who accomplish all of the criteria listed below, as evidence of listed firms' commitment to diversity. MCCA will encourage its members to consider retaining the listed firms when the legal needs of the members so permit. MCCA also will encourage larger firms serving MCCA corporate members to consider the firms on this list for referral work.
The following minimum criteria must be accomplished annually.
1. Executing of the Small and Mid-Size Firm Diversity Commitment.
2. Committing to consider lawyers and law students of diverse color and gender for any hiring pursued by the Firm. This includes requiring that all recruiters working for or referring candidates to the Firm actively seek out minority and women candidates.
3. Hiring minority law students as part-time clerks during the academic year at a rate of one per 50 attorneys.
4. Committing a minimum average of five (5) hours per firm attorney to mentoring minority and women law students.
5. Contributing a minimum of $250 per Firm attorney to a Minority Scholarship Fund to be administered by MCCA.
The following additional criteria qualify each Firm to name the scholarship(s) to be provided by its donation:
6. Sponsoring MCCA-approved sensitivity and awareness training for all firm employees.
7. Achieving a 50% participation rate in the Firm's mentoring program.
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