Overview
WASHINGTON, DC (July 19, 2016) — The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (“MCCA”) has named New York-based litigation partner, Lisa A. Linsky, as the 2016 recipient of the Paula L. Ettelbrick Award.
The Paula L. Ettelbrick Award celebrates unparalleled achievement by an individual or an organization in advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT”) attorneys. The award is named for the late Paula L. Ettelbrick, whose quarter-century of work at organizations like Lambda Legal Defense, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission, assisted thousands of LGBT individuals. Her career as an educator and mentor at institutions like New York University, Columbia University and the University of Michigan helped transform the national discussion regarding equality.
“I am honored to receive this award named for Paula L. Ettelbrick, a long-time champion for LGBT rights,” said Ms. Linsky. “Paula had the courage to speak out about LGBT equality at a time when many remained silent. This award provides me with additional inspiration as I continue advocating for LGBTQ attorneys dealing with uncertainties and roadblocks to career advancement. We have a long way to go before equality is the norm and I pledge to continue fighting until the legal industry and the country are authentically inclusive and embracing of all LGBTQ people.”
Ms. Linsky is a deserving recipient of the Paula L. Ettelbrick Award based on her impressive track record of moving the needle for LGBT diversity and inclusion. Ms. Linsky chaired McDermott’s firm-wide Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Diversity Committee from its inception in 2005 to 2014. Ms. Linsky also spearheaded McDermott’s LGBT Diversity & Inclusion Program in 2005, when few other law firms were paying attention to this aspect of workplace diversity. Since that time, she has helped numerous law firms and companies establish LGBT workplace programs, affinity groups and Employee Resource Groups.
Ms. Linsky also serves on the Firm’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee, where she combines her passion for LGBT causes with her legal prowess to provide pro bono support to the citizens of New York and the greater international LGBT community. As a result of Ms. Linsky’s leadership, McDermott attorneys and staff routinely work on LGBT-related pro bono matters with numerous organizations, including The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC, Lambda Legal, OutRight, and Immigration Equality.
Ms. Linsky was a member of the LGBT Rights Committee of the New York City Bar for four years and chaired the Pride Reception Subcommittee. In recognition of her service, Ms. Linsky was awarded the 2013 Art Leonard Award by the New York City Bar Association and its LGBT Rights Committee. Ms. Linsky was a seven-year member of the national board of directors for Lambda Legal, the country’s leading LGBT civil rights organization, where she served as an officer for most of her tenure. She currently serves on the board of the LGBT Community Center of New York and has been singled out as a “Top NY Power Gay” by the NY Observer. Ms. Linsky is featured in a 2015 YAHOO! News documentary, “Uniquely Nasty: The U.S. Government’s War on Gays,” which explores the archive activism of pro bono client, The Mattachine Society of Washington, DC. The film recently won the Edward R. Murrow award for best documentary. In 2016, the New York Law Journal selected Ms. Linsky as a “Lawyer Who Leads by Example,” and Chambers USA deemed her the “LGBT Equality Lawyer of the Year.”
Ms. Linsky will be among those honored by the MCCA at this year’s 2016 Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference being held on Monday, July 18th at the Renaissance Washington Hotel.
“This year’s award recipients all share in our passion and commitment for a more diverse and inclusive working environment,” said MCCA President & CEO Jean Lee. “Through the years of work, their accomplishments demonstrate that no one is more deserving of these respective awards. While progress has been made, it is clear that much more needs to be done to accomplish the inclusivity that we all desire. With champions like these on the frontlines, we are sure to make great strides in the years to come.”
About MCCA
MCCA was founded in 1997 to advance the hiring, retention and promotion of diverse attorneys in legal departments and the law firms that serve them. MCCA accomplishes its mission through publishing, research and training, pipeline initiatives and networking. MCCA’s work has been recognized with awards from the National Minority Business Council, Inc., the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the National LGBT Bar, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. MCCA is headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, go to www.mcca.com.
About McDermott Will & Emery
McDermott Will & Emery is a premier international law firm with a diversified business practice. Numbering more than 1,000 lawyers, we have offices in Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Milan, Munich, New York, Orange County, Paris, Rome, Seoul, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Further extending our reach into Asia, we have a strategic alliance with MWE China Law Offices in Shanghai.
