On June 14, Arnold & Porter’s Washington, D.C. office was honored with The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA)’s 2002 Thomas L. Sager Award. This is the fourth consecutive year that MCCA has honored the firm for its efforts to improve the recruitment, retention, and promotion of minority lawyers. The award was announced at MCCA’s Diversity Dinner for the Mid-Atlantic Region, which featured Global Conversationalist Cari M. Dominguez, Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

"We are very grateful for MCCA’s ongoing recognition of our efforts to create a hospitable environment for people of all backgrounds," said Jim Sandman, Managing Partner of Arnold & Porter.

Two years ago, minority lawyers constituted 11.6% of the lawyers in the firm’s Washington office. Today, minority lawyers constitute 18% of lawyers in the Washington office. The firm’s summer associate program, its most important source of lawyer recruits, has also shown significant improvement in diversity. This year, 39% of summer associates are minorities, the highest figure in the firm’s history. "This bodes very well for future increases in diversity among lawyers at our firm," said Sandman.

Arnold & Porter received MCCA’s Thomas L. Sager Award in both 1999 and 2000. In 2001, MCCA named Arnold & Porter an "Employer of Choice," the first and only law firm ever to receive that designation. The firm ranked number one in the U.S. for diversity in the 2001 Vault.com Guide to the Top 100 Law Firms. Arnold & Porter was also recognized as a "smart firm" by JD Jungle magazine in 2002 for the firm’s diversity efforts, and in 2001, "Working Mother" magazine named Arnold & Porter one of the "100 Best Companies" for working mothers for the third time.

For more information about Arnold & Porter, visit www.arnoldandporter.com.

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