The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) was founded in 1997 to advocate for the expanded hiring, retention, and promotion of attorneys of diverse backgrounds and women in corporate law departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through the collection and dissemination of information about diversity in the legal profession. MCCA enjoys the support of numerous corporate law departments across the country.
KAN-Do Initiative
MCCA’s KAN-Do best practices initiative offers Knowledge, Access and Networks to persons of diverse backgrounds and women in the legal profession, with a major focus on corporate law department lawyers and law firm lawyers who support these departments. The KAN-Do program is designed to enhance the knowledge of lawyers about professional development opportunities, as well as issues such as diversity in the areas of recruitment/hiring, retention, and promotion/advancement.
The three major components of the initiative are:
K = Knowledge
Knowledge empowers organizations and individuals to increase their understanding of diversity issues and offers the prospect of overcoming challenges. MCCA collects and reports on diversity best practices in law firms and corporate law departments. The research includes practical tips on how to implement effective diversity programs. MCCA also offers professional development resources for diverse attorneys, with an emphasis on mentoring, business development, career planning, and skills enhancement.
A = Access
According to MCCA, most experts agree that being smart, well-prepared, and eager to contribute are not enough to ensure success. When employees lack awareness and access to opportunities, advancement potential is severely hindered. Diverse attorneys must be given an equal opportunity to hear about, apply, and be considered for positions of increasing responsibility. MCCA addresses this Access issue by offering a web-based MCCA Job Bank.
N = Networks
Although MCCA’s KAN-Do strategy was developed with the unique needs of lawyers of diverse backgrounds and women in mind, MCCA programs are open to all lawyers. MCCA annually hosts more than 15 networking events in major cities throughout the country.
The KAN-Do best practices initiative has provided persons of diverse backgrounds and women with knowledge, access and networks to address barriers to opportunities in recruitment, hiring, retention, and career advancement in the legal profession.
