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CMCP Anniversary Title Sponsor
CMCP Anniversary Title Sponsor

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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

Dennis Archer
Dennis Archer
Drucilla S. Ramey
Drucilla S. Ramey
Guy Rounsaville, Jr.
Guy Rounsaville, Jr.

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.  

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.  

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. 

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. 

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.) 

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

Recognize someone who is not identified in the photos? Please let us know!

Board Chairs, Executive Directors and Ambassadors Council

CMCP Chairs, Board of Directors (1990-2024)

1990, 1991Rena Wheaton
1992William Hastie, Arnelle & Hastie
1993Richard Odgers, Pacific Telesis Group
1994Thomas Unterman ,Times Mirror Company
1995Lloyd Johnson, Jr., Aguirre & Associates
1996D. Terrell  Sherman, Chevron Corporation
1997Vilma Martinez,Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
1998Paul Richardson ,Times Mirror Company
1999Bruce Worthington, Pacific Gas & Electric Corp.
2000Ronald ,Beard Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
2001Linda Williams, Chevron Corporation
2002Guy Rounsaville, Jr., Visa, Inc.
2003Peter Bewley, The Clorox Company
2004, 2005James Potter, Del Monte Foods
2006, 2007Dennis Stryker, Rick Engineering
2008Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney
2009Maki Daijogo, Daijogo & Pedersen, LLP, Garner K. Weng, Hanson Bridgett LLP
2010Deborah J. Broyles, Reed Smith LLP and James D. Nguyen Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon
2011Deborah J. Broyles, Reed Smith LLP and Mark Zemelman Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
2012Mark Zemelman, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Anna Segobia, Masters Winston & Strawn LLP
2013Anna Segobia, Masters Winston & Strawn LLP and W. Davis (Dave) Smith, San Diego Gas & Electric Company
2014W. Davis (Dave) Smith, San Diego Gas & Electric Company and Dale W. Lum, Sidley Austin LLP
2015Dale W. Lum, Sidley Austin LLP and B. Michael Bennett, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
2016B. Michael Bennett,  Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Laura J. Maechtlen, Seyfarth Shaw LLP
2017Laura J. Maechtlen, Seyfarth Shaw LLP and Kate Duchene, RGP
2018Kate Duchene, RGP and Camilo Echavarria, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
2019Camilo Echavarria, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and Sharon L. Tomkins, Southern California Gas Company
2020Sharon L. Tomkins, Sempra Energy and Marissa M. Dennis, Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP
2021Marissa M. Dennis, Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis LLP and Tiffany Renee Thomas, Genentech, Inc.
2022Tiffany Renee Thomas, Genentech, Inc. and Eric Casher, Meyers Nave
2023Eric Casher, Meyers Nave and Christophe Mosby, HP, Inc.
2024Christophe Mosby, HP, Inc. and David Ammons, LTL Attorneys LLP

CMCP Executive Directors (1989-2024)

1989 - 1993Karen L. Hobin
1994 - 1996Lovely A. Dhillon
1997 - 1998  Geetanjali K. Dhillon
1999 - 2000Carol Leah Rogers
2001 - 2007Tania P. Shah
2008 - 2009Tara G. Bedeau
2010 - 2015Marci Rubin
2015 - 2023Robert White
2023 – PresentTracey Broadhead

JOIN OUR CELEBRATION

CMCP Women of Color Conference

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Thanks to Our 35th Anniversary Champion

CMCP Anniversary Title Sponsor