Washington, D.C., The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), which is dedicated to  improving diversity in the legal profession, today applauds the launch of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD)  a new organization being formed by 14 Fortune 500 senior legal executives and a number of law firm managing partners.

"MCCA congratulates the leaders of the new Leadership Council on Legal Diversity upon its formation and aggressive goals to advance diversity in the legal profession," said Veta T. Richardson, MCCA's Executive Director. MCCA and its leadership, which includes several of the new board members of the LCLD, look forward to working as allies in furtherance of our shared goal of full and equal participation by all lawyers.”

The LCLD Board of Directors consists of the current or former senior legal executives from a number of Fortune 500 companies and managing partners from several of the nation's leading law firms, including:

• Dennis Broderick, Macy's, Inc.

• Francis B. Burch, Jr., DLA Piper LLP

• A.B. Cruz III, Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc.

• Arthur B. Culvahouse, Jr., O'Melveny & Myers LLP

• James C. Diggs, PPG Industries, Inc.

• Martin Frederic Evans, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

• Gregory B. Jordan, Reed Smith LLP

• Geoffrey J. Kelly, The Coca-Cola Company

• Gary Kennedy, American Airlines

• Sandra Leung, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company

• Thomas A. Mars, Wal-Mart

• Wally Martinez, Hunton & Williams LLP

• Michele Coleman Mayes, Allstate Insurance Company

• Timothy J. Mayopoulos, Fannie Mae 

• Teri P. McClure, UPS 

• Rick Palmore, General Mills

• Stephen E. Pickett, Southern California Edison

• Brad Smith, Microsoft Corp.

• Laura Stein, The Clorox Company

Rick Palmore, General Counsel of General Mills, has been the driving force behind the formation of the LCLD and is the new Chair of the Board. MCCA has supported Mr. Palmore's launch and promotion of the Call to Action - the initiative in which more than 100 general counsel have pledged to pursue diversity in their legal departments and law firms that serve them.  MCCA also has hosted the annual Call to Action Luncheon during the MCCA Pathways to Diversity® Conference held in New York City in November. 

One of the LCLD's Goals to Measure Success is to recommend the adoption of the MCCA/Vault Law Firm Diversity Database as the primary diversity measurement instrument for law firms. The Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Database is compiled based on the two organizationsÂ’ annual diversity survey, a comprehensive online questionnaire distributed to more than 275 of the nation's largest law firms.  The result is quantitative and qualitative data that provides a complete picture of the diversity commitment and programs within each law firm. For more information on the full searchable online tool, go to http://mcca.vault.com.  Use of the database is free, but users must register.

About the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity

The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) is a newly formed organization of chief legal officers and law firm managing partners dedicated to using all means at their disposal to create a truly diverse legal profession. The LCLD recognizes and affirms that having diverse talent is a critical element in having the best talent. To assure that the legal profession enables the best talent to flourish, the LCLD is committed to eliminate impediments which preclude minorities and women from having a full and fair opportunity to perform, to succeed and to lead.

About MCCA

The Minority Corporate Counsel Association advocates for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them. Since its founding in 1997, MCCA has emerged as the legal professionÂ’s knowledge leader on diversity issues and its expanded platform  offers solutions to diversity management challenges involving women, physically challenged, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lawyers, in addition to attorneys of color (which remains its primary focus).

MCCA advances its mission by publishing innovative research, illuminating diversity best practices, honoring diversity leadership with its prestigious Employer of Choice and Thomas L. Sager awards, and assisting diverse law students through the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. Scholarship Program. MCCAÂ’s award-winning programs and services have been cited by several leading organizations, including the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar Association, and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has a southeast regional office in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, go to mcca.com