Lots of lawyers say they're interested in a diverse workplace. But Roderick "Rick" Palmore had the vision and initiative to take steps to advance that goal. In 2004, when Palmore was general counsel of Sara Lee Corporation, he issued "A Call to Action," a message to outside counsel that diversity would be a factor in hiring and retaining law firms. More important, he convinced more than 100 other companies to join his challenge.
"It was a very bold step," says Robert Grey, the former president of the American Bar Association. "Those firms that chose not to [use diverse teams] might find their work shrinking." (Grey is now executive director of another Palmore creation, the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.)
