Daily Briefs

 International law firm and Microsoft first to receive ABA award

The American Bar Association Commission on Disability Rights will honor international law firm Perkins Coie LLP and Microsoft Corporation, Legal and Corporate Affairs with its inaugural Champions for Disability Inclusion in the Legal Profession Award. Both Perkins Coie and Microsoft were selected for their ongoing commitment to disability diversity in the legal profession. 

They will receive the award on Wednesday, April 9, during a luncheon at the Commission on Disability Rights’ 4th National Conference on Employment and Education Law Impacting Persons with Disabilities at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel.
 
Representatives from both organizations have signed, and encouraged others to sign, the commission’s  Disability Diversity in the Legal Profession: A Pledge for Change, which signifies an organization’s commitment to diversity.

The Champions award recognizes a law firm and in-house corporate counsel who have made measurable progress in the recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement to leadership positions of lawyers with disabilities.

Perkins Coie’s commitment to the inclusion of lawyers with disabilities in the legal profession is demonstrated by, among other things, its: creation of a Lawyers with Disabilities Affinity Group;  participation in the IMPACT Career Fair for Law Students and Attorneys with Disabilities; hosting a disability diversity celebration for firm employees, clients and members of the community; professional development of the firm’s lawyers with disabilities; and activities aimed at encouraging high school and law students to pursue a legal career.

Microsoft Corporation, Legal and Corporate Affairs has demonstrated its commitment to disability diversity and inclusion through its establishment of a disability diversity team to drive inclusion of disability in its legal diversity efforts, creation of a disability toolkit to help Microsoft’s legal recruiters navigate disability and accommodation issues, and outreach to outside counsel on improving disability diversity and inclusion in their firms, among other diversity-related activities.  It is an active member of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association, sponsors of the conference.

The mission of the ABA Commission on Disability Rights is to promote the ABA’s commitment to justice and the rule of law for people with mental, physical, and sensory disabilities and to promote their full and equal participation in the legal profession.
 

2014 Dean Robb  Lecture Series: The Politics of Auto Safety

 
Wayne State University Law School will present the 2014 Dean Robb Lecture Series: The Politics of Auto Safety on Wednesday, April 2, from 12:15 - 1:15 p.m. at the Law School Building, Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium, 471 W. Palmer in Detroit. Joan Claybrook, former administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will speak on the intersection of auto safety and the challenges presented by politics and special interests. For more information about this event, contact Peter Hammer at 313-577-3620 or peter.hammer@wayne.edu.

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