The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, founded in 1997, is an organization dedicated to the hiring, retention, and promotion of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments. With increased globalization of businesses, diversity is becoming an important consideration when it comes to hiring corporate counsel. Appreciation for diversity is important because companies and law firms with foreign branches will encounter cultural differences in the foreign countries they do business in, in addition to differing legal systems and laws. As such, hiring personnel capable of dealing effectively with these differences should be taken into consideration.
Each year, the scholarship committee selects 25 students from minority or financially disadvantaged backgrounds, including those who may be the first in their families to graduate from college. Each student must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership qualities, and a commitment to diversity.
Along with the scholarships, the MCCA also offers networking with major law firms and corporations that are members of the MCCA and provide financial contribution to the organization. Through the Job Bank located on its website, firms and companies are able to post job openings for students and attorneys to view. Conversely, attorneys and students are able to post their resumes online for potential employers to see.
Although the MCCA's is one of many job banks on the Internet, the mere existence of it is valuable in providing students in law school with additional opportunities to gain practical experience. Nowadays, academic excellence in law school is not enough to guarantee students a job upon graduation. Instead, law firms and corporate legal departments seek students who already have practical experience. The reason for this is because it demonstrates that the applicant is capable of functioning in a high-pressure work environment, and from the firm or company's view, less time will be spent mentoring the new associate.
Additional information on the MCCA, the Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. scholarship, and applications for the scholarship can be found on the MCCA's website (www.mcca.com).
Information on the MCCA Job Bank can be found at http://www.mcca.com/MCCA/JobBank/
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