many cases resulted in D&I programs, or at least the resources needed to execute these programs, to be shelved or re-purposed. D&I programs should be as much a part of the strategic and operational plans of organizations as are products and services and P&Ls. Because the power of diversity can fuel an organization’s competitive advantage, its inclusion in operational and strategic plans in terms of workforce and customer service optimization is essential. There exists a significant business case for diversity. Simply put, diverse organizations tend to perform better. So, when it comes to D&I, it can’t just be a tag-on conversation. It’s got to be central to the measure of an organization’s success, and be discussed at board, CEO and COO meetings, and not just by the head of the organization’s diversity committee. What role can, and should, general counsel and clients play in trying to promote change? The role of GC is pivotal. They are part of an industry which, of all the professional industries, has the absolute worst metrics when it comes to diversity. CLOs/GCs tend to be members of the C-suite and often have great influence at the highest levels of the
generate positive momentum towards shared objectives. A lot of headway can be made when GCs and law firm leaders work together. How do you see the mission of MCCA developing in the future? I want our twentieth year to be just as ambitious as our first year. Over the many years since I entered the legal profession, there have been distinct inflection points when the issue of diversity and inclusion has been thrust into the spotlight. For instance, in 2004, Rick Palmore issued his “call to action” on diversity within the legal profession and rallied many fellow corporate GCs (I among them) to commit to help address the issue. Here we are in 2018, and I think we’ve arrived at another inflection point. I have made it clear with our board at MCCA that we need to reinvigorate the MCCA, its place, its purpose and its membership. To step up our game, if you will. Our members, and frankly the entire legal profession, deserve more and we need to deliver greater value and make good things happen in the D&I space, so that in the end we can say “mission accomplished!” I would like to see our twentieth year be one in which passion brings action—where people come togeth-
“Our members, and frankly the entire legal profession, deserve more and we need to deliver greater value and make good things happen in the D&I space, so that in the end we can say ‘mission accomplished!’” company, including at the board level. As such, what they say and do matter and have great influence on what will be done and how. So, if they focus their attention on advancing D&I, they can make things move forward. A CLO/GC is uniquely positioned to introduce concepts and thought leadership around the issue within their own company and across the entire legal profession especially when they work alongside their fellow GCs. They can also have great influence on vendors and law firms, and create partnerships around common core values and
er, wrap their enthusiasm and efforts around the importance of D&I, cultivate and share good ideas, and then devise and execute plans. In 20 years hence, it would be nice to proclaim, “mission accomplished” and I would love it if our mission became irrelevant because the legal industry has become so diverse that it’s no longer an issue. I’d like to think MCCA would have had a key role in making that happen.
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