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HISTORY OF CMCP
In 1989, California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) was established to address the under-representation of minorities in the legal profession compared to their proportion in the overall state population. Since then, CMCP has been working tirelessly to create opportunities for minority attorneys to showcase their skills and connect with business decision-makers. Their efforts have helped corporations, law firms, and public agencies to fulfill their commitments to increase the number of attorneys of color in their organizations. Furthermore, CMCP has played a significant role in increasing the spending on outside counsel from minority attorneys, thereby promoting diversity and inclusivity in the legal industry.
Did You Know?
The Bar Association of San Francisco co-founded the California Minority Counsel Program, partnering with Wells Fargo and Pacific Telesis, and then housed CMCP during its first decade of growth. Firms throughout California joined CMCP which encouraged corporations to use minority attorneys, provided minority attorneys direct opportunities to business decision makers, and assisted corporations and law firms to meet their commitments for minority hiring.
Stay tuned for more fascinating insights on the inception and early days of CMCP!
CMCP Founders
FEATURED THIS MONTH
CMCP REFLECTIONS (member stories of impact)
"In terms of how I would describe the main impact of CMCP, I think it's about connections."
David W. Ammons, Partner, LTL Attorneys and CMCP Board Co-Chair
CMCP DIVERSITY AWARDS
Award(s) not bestowed on years not listed.
John Essex and Guy Rounsaville, Jr. In-House Counsel Diversity Award
Awarded to the CMCP Corporate or Public Agency member that has demonstrated the strongest commitment to diversity.
2024, Google LLC
2022, Intuit Inc.
2019, Zynga Inc.
2018, eBay Inc.
2017, HP Inc.
2016, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
2015, Hewlett-Packard Company
2013, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
2012, Gap Inc.
2011, PG&E Corporation
2010, Del Monte Corporation
2009, Southern California Edison
2008, Sempra Energy
2007, Intel Corporation
2006, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
2005, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
2004, Oakland City Attorney’s Office
2003, Hilton Hotels Corporation
2002, The Walt Disney Company
2001, Clorox Company
2000, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
1999, Times Mirror Company
1998, Southern California Edison
1997, Hughes Electronics
1996, Bank of America
1995, AT&T
1994, Chevron
1993, Wells Fargo Bank
Drucilla Stender Ramey Majority-Owned Law Firm Award
Awarded to the CMCP majority-owned law firm member that has demonstrated the greatest commitment to diversity.
2024, Allen Matkins
2022, Hanson Bridgett LLP
2020, Littler Mendelson P.C.
2019, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
2018, Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP
2017, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
2016, Littler Mendelson P.C.
2015, Bowman & Brooke LLP
2013, Caldwell Leslie & Proctor, PC
2012, Sedgwick LLP
2011, Crowell & Moring LLP
2010, Farella Braun + Martel LLP
2009, Reed Smith LLP
2008, Littler Mendelson PC
2007, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
2006, Foley & Lardner LLP
2005, Thelen Reid & Priest LLP
2004, Alschuler, Grossman, Stein & Kahan LLP
2003, Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy LLP
2002, Bingham McCutchen LLP
Deborah J. Broyles Law Firm Diversity Leader Award
Presented to a lawyer at a CMCP member majority-owned firm who has had sustained involvement in CMCP, has made significant achievements in promoting diversity at their firm, and has demonstrated a personal commitment to CMCP's mission, including mentoring and development of POC attorneys.
2024, Laura Maechtlen, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
2022, George Fatheree III, Partner, Sidley Austin LLP
2019, Ellisen S. Turner, Partner, Irell & Manella LLP
2018, Rasha Gerges Shields, Partner, Jones Day
2017, Quyen Ta, Partner, Keker Van Nest Peters LLP
Marci Rubin Emerging Leader Diversity Award
Presented to a practicing attorney at a CMCP member organization in their first 15 years of practice who has had sustained active involvement in CMCP, demonstrated strong leadership qualities and personal commitment to CMCP's mission of diversifying the bar, and who has been active in promoting CMCP and encouraging others to participate.
2024, Rachel Douglas
2022, Philip Person
2020, Nicole A. Diaz, Peter A. Griffin
2019, Deanna L. Kwong
2018, Amber M. Grayhorse, Gloria J. Lee
2017, Andrew W. Houston
2016, Aurelio J. Pérez, Christiane A. Roussell
Minority-Owned Law Firm Client Service Award
Presented to the CMCP minority-owned law firm member that has demonstrated outstanding client service (self-nomination and two client nominations.)
2024, Aecus Law
2019, Willenken LLP
2017, Andrade Gonzalez LLP
2016, ADLI Law Group P.C.
2015, Wong Fleming
2013, Lee Tran & Liang LLP
2012, Rosales Law Partners, LLP
2011, Lafayette & Kumagai LLP
2010, Shimokaji & Associates
2009, Lim, Ruger & Kim, LLP
2008, Villarreal Hutner PC
2007, Martin & Martin, LLP
2006, Silicon Counsel
2005, Ivie, McNeill & Wyatt
2004, Willenken Wilson Loh & Lieb LLP
2003, Sanchez & Amador LLP
CMCP Diversity Leader Hall of Fame (Hall of Fame Members 2014)
25th Anniversary (2014)
| Raymond Alvarado |
| Richard Amador |
| Dennis Archer |
| Ronald S. Beard |
| Peter D. Bewley |
| Janice P. Brown |
| Richard Castillo |
| Curtis Caton |
| Lovely Dhillon |
| John Essex |
| Kevin Fong |
| Sergio Garcia |
| Paul Gutierrez |
| Nicole Harris |
| William H. Hastie |
| Dennis Herrera |
| Lloyd M. Johnson, Jr. |
| Raymond C. Marshall |
| Otis McGee, Jr. |
| Christine K. Noma |
| Richard W. Odgers |
| James Potter |
| Lindbergh Porter |
| Drucilla Stender Ramey |
| Paul J. Richardson |
| Guy Rounsaville, Jr. |
| George Schell |
| Tania P. Shah |
| Michael Shimokaji |
| Dennis J. Stryker |
| Bruce R. Worthington |
| Mark Zemelman |
FROM THE ARCHIVES
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Board Chairs, Executive Directors and Ambassadors Council
CMCP Chairs, Board of Directors (1990-2024)
| 1990, 1991 | Rena Wheaton |
|---|---|
| 1992 | William Hastie, Arnelle & Hastie |
| 1993 | Richard Odgers, Pacific Telesis Group |
| 1994 | Thomas Unterman ,Times Mirror Company |
| 1995 | Lloyd Johnson, Jr., Aguirre & Associates |
| 1996 | D. Terrell Sherman, Chevron Corporation |
| 1997 | Vilma Martinez,Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP |
| 1998 | Paul Richardson ,Times Mirror Company |
| 1999 | Bruce Worthington, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. |
| 2000 | Ronald ,Beard Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP |
| 2001 | Linda Williams, Chevron Corporation |
| 2002 | Guy Rounsaville, Jr., Visa, Inc. |
| 2003 | Peter Bewley, The Clorox Company |
| 2004, 2005 | James Potter, Del Monte Foods |
| 2006, 2007 | Dennis Stryker, Rick Engineering |
| 2008 | Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney |
| 2009 | Maki Daijogo, Daijogo & Pedersen, LLP, Garner K. Weng, Hanson Bridgett LLP |
| 2010 | Deborah J. Broyles, Reed Smith LLP and James D. Nguyen Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon |
| 2011 | Deborah J. Broyles, Reed Smith LLP and Mark Zemelman Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. |
| 2012 | Mark Zemelman, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Anna Segobia, Masters Winston & Strawn LLP |
| 2013 | Anna Segobia, Masters Winston & Strawn LLP and W. Davis (Dave) Smith, San Diego Gas & Electric Company |
| 2014 | W. Davis (Dave) Smith, San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Dale W. Lum, Sidley Austin LLP |
| 2015 | Dale W. Lum, Sidley Austin LLP and B. Michael Bennett, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. |
| 2016 | B. Michael Bennett, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Laura J. Maechtlen, Seyfarth Shaw LLP |
| 2017 | Laura J. Maechtlen, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Kate Duchene, RGP |
| 2018 | Kate Duchene, RGP and Camilo Echavarria, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP |
| 2019 | Camilo Echavarria, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and Sharon L. Tomkins, Southern California Gas Company |
| 2020 | Sharon L. Tomkins, Sempra Energy and Marissa M. Dennis, Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP |
| 2021 | Marissa M. Dennis, Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP and Tiffany Renee Thomas, Genentech, Inc. |
| 2022 | Tiffany Renee Thomas, Genentech, Inc. and Eric Casher, Meyers Nave |
| 2023 | Eric Casher, Meyers Nave and Christophe Mosby, HP, Inc. |
| 2024 | Christophe Mosby, HP, Inc. and David Ammons, LTL Attorneys LLP |
CMCP Executive Directors (1989-2024)
| 1989 - 1993 | Karen L. Hobin |
|---|---|
| 1994 - 1996 | Lovely A. Dhillon |
| 1997 - 1998 | Geetanjali K. Dhillon |
| 1999 - 2000 | Carol Leah Rogers |
| 2001 - 2007 | Tania P. Shah |
| 2008 - 2009 | Tara G. Bedeau |
| 2010 - 2015 | Marci Rubin |
| 2015 - 2023 | Robert White |
| 2023 – Present | Tracey Broadhead |
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