Creating Pathways to Diversity – MCCA Puts On Another Amazing Conference.

Last Wednesday I attended MCCA’s 11th Annual “Creating Pathways to Diversity” Conference. It was, as always, an innovative, educational, and inspiring event. If you’ve not been to the conference, I strongly urge you to try to make next year’s conference, which will take place the day before MCCA’s Diversity Honors Gala honoring several diversity champions. There are few better opportunities to network and meet other individuals who also share a passion for diversity.

The conference is a great mix of in-house and outside counsel who come together to discuss diversity-related issues which are at the growing edge of the diversity movement. There were a total of twenty sessions that could be attended, with topics ranging from corporate board member diversity (“Leveraging Board Diversity to Improve Corporate Governance”), LGBT inclusion, leadership (“Laws of Leadership Success”), the impact of the economy and globalization on legal diversity issues, diversity best practices, developing and managing an effective supplier diversity program, and much more. There was so much packed into the day that I was exhausted at the end of it all, and then it was time for the dinner at which three corporations (Boehringer Ihelheim USA, Staples, and MetLife) and one law firm (Davis Polk) were honored.

Many corporations which recognize the importance of diversity – both internally and externally – sent counsel to attend and participate in the discussions. Panelists and speakers included individuals from Altria, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Korn/Ferry International, Pepco, Wal-Mart, Freddie Mac, Pfizer, Sodexo, NBC Universal, Macy’s, Time Inc., Colgate-Palmolive, American Airlines, Mary Kay Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, Capital One, and many, many others. It is exciting to see so many companies place such a high value on diversity, and it is inspiring to listen to what their in-house counsel have to say about the impact and contribution that diversity has made to their practices and their clients.

I met some great people at the conference and had some enlightening and amazing conversations about diversity and its importance. I come away with new ideas, practices and lessons learned that I plan to share with you all in future posts. Until then, save the date for next year’s conference!