Microsoft Receives A. Leon Higginbotham Award for Legal Diversity and Pro Bono Efforts
Monday, June 08, 2009
- Organization: Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
- Source: Pennsylvania
Microsoft was recognized for excellence in diversity and pro bono efforts and presented with the A. Leon Higginbotham Award during a June 3rd gala, “A More Perfect Union”, emceed by Soledad O’Brien, anchor and special correspondent, CNN Worldwide that was part of the Award Dinner commemorating the 45th anniversary of the historic Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The prestigious Higginbotham award is named in memory of Chief Judge A. Leon Higginbotham Jr., a civil rights advocate, author and federal appeals court judge. Mr. Higginbotham was the first African American judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Pennsylvania. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1995. His countless achievements include appointment by President Kennedy as the first African American to serve on the Federal Trade Commission and authoring the acclaimed, “In the Matter of Color: Race and the American Legal Process, A Study of the Treatment of Race in the Colonial American Legal System.”
Microsoft received the Higginbotham award for its commitment to diversity and inclusion as part of the daily business function within every area of the company and for how it extends this commitment to its relationship with partners.
In July 2008 Microsoft launched an innovative effort that uses a “pay for performance” approach to enhance diversity in the legal profession. Under the Law Firm Diversity Program, Microsoft changed its legal fee structure for its Premier Preferred Provider (PPP) law firms, making each firm eligible for a two percent quarterly or annual bonus based on whether it achieves concrete diversity results.
Microsoft also provides pro bono services in partnership with others to effect change, including the formation of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), a new national children’s advocacy initiative with the mission of providing pro bono legal counsel to unaccompanied immigrant children in the United States so that they are treated fairly and compassionately in our immigration system.
