Dallas - Ford & Harrison LLP, a national labor and employment law firm, is pleased to announce that the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has honored the firm for its diversity initiatives with the 2011 Thomas L. Sager Award for the South/Southwest Region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas). This award is given to law firms that demonstrate a sustained commitment to improving the hiring, retention and promotion of minority attorneys. Ford & Harrison Dallas Partner Buena Vista Lyons accepted the award on behalf of the firm at the MCCA Regional Networking Forum on February 16 in Arlington, Texas.
The event featured a panel discussion with local legal leaders discussing how fascinating life experiences have impacted their careers. After the panel discussion, the Honorable Laura Miller delivered the keynote remarks, followed by the announcement of the Regional Sager Award Winner and a VIP Networking Reception.
Ford & Harrison was honored due to an aggressive strategic plan for improving diversity and inclusion at the firm. Some of the more recent action items and successes have included a firmwide diversity training program, a "Partners in Progress" mentoring program for all associates, a pipeline initiative which includes a scholarship for a minority law students and an expanded minority mentoring network, collaborative efforts with diversity associations in each of our cities, and "Connections for Success," a mentoring program for the Boys & Girls Club of America's Southeast region "Youth of the Year" winners.
"We are very excited to receive the 2011 Thomas L. Sager Award for the South/Southwest Region," said Dawn Siler-Nixon, Ford & Harrison's Diversity and Inclusion Partner. "We believe that diversity and inclusion are the pathways to success, employee fulfillment, and a way to create lasting and positive change throughout our firm and within the legal profession. We are pleased to see our beliefs and efforts are being recognized."
About the Minority Corporate Counsel Association
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) was founded in 1997 to advocate for the expanded hiring, promotion, and retention of minority attorneys in corporate legal departments and the law firms that serve them. In addition, MCCA stimulates an ongoing dialogue of diversity "best practices." MCCA accomplishes its mission through the collection and dissemination of information on diversity in the legal profession. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and also has an office in Atlanta. For more information, go to www.mcca.com.