DEI banner image

Diversity and Inclusion Policy

The Connecticut Bar Association is committed to diversity in its membership, officers, staff, House of Delegates, Board of Governors, executive committee, sections and committees, and their respective leaders. Diversity is an inclusive concept encompassing gender, gender identity, race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, and disability.

We are a richer and more effective association because of diversity, as it increases our association’s strengths, capabilities, and adaptability. Through increased diversity, our organization can more effectively address member and societal needs with the varied perspectives, experiences, knowledge, information, and understanding inherent in a diverse relationship.

Unanimously approved by the CBA House of Delegates on 03/23/15.


Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee

The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee is charged with implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Policy and will adopt, monitor, and promote a diversity and inclusion plan to achieve a genuine, sustainable diverse and inclusive environment within the CBA, throughout its membership and the Connecticut legal community at large.




Learn More

The Connecticut Legal Community’s Diversity & Inclusion Pledge & Plan

The Pledge and Plan brings together legal leaders in the state to enhance diversity and inclusion in the Connecticut legal community. Connecticut legal organizations can sign a pledge to be a part of a collective plan to achieve the goals of equity and inclusion. The 2025 update to the Pledge and Plan will be released soon.





Learn More

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit

The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint is an innovative and collaborative professional development experience designed to empower leaders in the legal profession to act toward making Connecticut a more diverse and inclusive bench and bar. Through collaborative workshops and panel discussions, you will gain knowledge and inspiration to help you lead your organization into a revolutionary transformation that will make a positive effect in the realm of diversity and inclusion in the state of Connecticut.


Learn More

CBA LAW Camp

The CBA runs a summer program for high school students who have faced difficult situations to learn more about the field of law. 

LAW Camp

CBA Future of the Legal Profession Scholars Program

The CBA Future of the Legal Profession Scholarship Program (FLPSP) encourages students who have faced adversity or will be first generation lawyers to enter the legal profession in Connecticut. As part of the program, participants will receive a scholarship to take the LSAT preparation course and participate in events and programs to prepare them for their law school journey and engage them with the Connecticut legal community.

Learn More

Constance Baker Motley Speaker Series on Racial Inequality

The Constance Baker Motley Speaker Series on Racial Inequality was established by the Connecticut Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Foundation as an ongoing forum for the Connecticut legal community to discuss issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. This series is named in honor of civil rights trailblazer Judge Constance Baker Motley with the goal of supporting and fostering renewed commitment to advancing civil rights and social justice.

Learn More

Events

News

  • correct_diversity_summit_log CBA Hosts Seventh Annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit

    Tuesday, October 25, 2022

    On October 19, more than 150 people attended the CBA’s seventh annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint. The interactive and engaging virtual summit explored strategies for increasing retention in legal organizations and creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal community within Connecticut.
  • cba_logo_rgb_small CBA Denounces the Recent Hate Motivated Shootings Throughout the Country

    Tuesday, May 17, 2022

    The Connecticut Bar Association denounces the three hate motivated mass shootings that took place last week targeting Black and Asian communities.
  • correct_diversity_summit_log CBA Hosts Sixth Annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit

    Monday, October 25, 2021

    On Wednesday, October 20, more than 170 people attended the CBA’s sixth annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint. The interactive and engaging virtual summit explored strategies for increasing retention in legal organizations and creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal community within Connecticut.

Member Spotlights

  • Mallori Thompson Headshot Black History Month Spotlight | Mallori Deanna Thompson

    Tuesday, February 25, 2025

    Mallori Deanna Thompson is a business litigation attorney at Robinson & Cole LLP and is currently the president of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association and the vice chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee.
  • Atty. Brookshire Jr. (2024) Black History Month Spotlight | Jermaine A. Brookshire, Jr.

    Tuesday, February 25, 2025

    Jermaine A. Brookshire, Jr. is an attorney at the full-service law firm of Herrick Feinstein LLP in New York, NY. He is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department where he focuses his practice on corporate finance and strategic transactions, technology agreements, commercial agreements, mergers and acquisitions, debt and venture capital financing rounds, securities law compliance, corporate governance, and other general corporate matters.
  • Robert Burnes Native American Heritage Month Member Spotlight |Robert Burnes

    Wednesday, November 27, 2024

    Captain Robert Burnes (Cherokee Warrior-Cherokee Nation) works, alongside his family, to further Native American rights, to enforce treaties, and to dispel misinformation about Indigenous American appearance, customs, and history that is often misrepresented in the entertainment industry. After retiring from the Bureau of Indian Affairs-Office of Justice Services, Attorney Burnes created The Grey Winds Project to train and assist local and tribal police in missing persons/missing persons at-risk investigations.