About CMCP
Promoting diversity in the legal profession by providing attorneys of color with access and opportunity for business and professional development.
Who We Are
The California Minority Counsel Program (CMCP) is a California 501(c)(6) non-profit mutual benefit corporation, dedicated to promoting diversity in the legal profession by providing attorneys of color with access and opportunity for business and professional development.
CMCP is the only state-wide organization that brings business lawyers of all races together as members and colleagues, regardless of the type of organization in which they practice, for the purpose of achieving diversity and inclusion within law firms and in-house law departments, and in the outside counsel spend of corporations and government agencies.
CMCP Members
- Corporate and public agency law departments
- Minority-owned law firms
- Majority-owned law firms (large and small, national and local)
- Individual attorneys committed to taking action to increase diversity in the legal profession
The benefits of CMCP membership are enjoyed by every attorney who works for a CMCP member organization. Although CMCP’s focus is in California, many member law firms and corporations are national, with headquarters in other states and offices and/or substantial business in California.
CMCP Programs & Other Activities
CMCP’s programs and other activities all serve to level the playing field for attorneys of color. CMCP provides multiple ways for minority attorneys to make connections, showcase their skills, gain access to decision-makers, expand their networks, and develop relationships that further their careers and lead to business and job opportunities.
Member participation and active engagement is the key to CMCP’s program success. CMCP provides the opportunities — whether as a volunteer, writing e-Newsletter articles, attending programs & events throughout the year, attending the Annual Business Conference, or participating in Corporate Connections as a corporate interviewer or a law firm attorney seeking business. We succeed when our members take advantage of the opportunities provided.
CMCP History
CMCP was formed in 1989 in response to the disparity between the percentage of minorities in the state’s population and legal profession. Since inception, through independent programs and partnerships with other diversity organizations, CMCP has proactively:
- provided direct opportunities for minority attorneys to attain access to business decision-makers and demonstrate their abilities
- assisted corporations, law firms and public agencies in meeting their commitments to increasing the numbers of attorneys of color in their organizations
- assisted corporations and public agencies in increasing their minority attorney outside counsel spend
CMCP has been recognized for its leadership and effectiveness by publications such as The Recorder, The Daily Journal, and Diversity & The Bar, and by industry leaders such the California State Bar and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA). In 2002 CMCP was the first recipient of the California State Bar’s Council on Access & Fairness non-profit Diversity Award. CMCP received COAF’s non-profit Diversity Award again in September 2014 in recognition of its accomplishments over 25 years.
In April 2012, CMCP was awarded the David Cunningham Community Service Award by the California Association of Black Lawyers.
In July 2015, CMCP and Kaiser Health Care Foundation received the National Bar Association’s Pinnacle Award for Collaboration, presented as part of the NBA’s Corporate Leadership Forum.