2024 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint (CDC241025)

Sponsorship Opportunities   

Presented by the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee  

About the Program

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 take action toward making Connecticut a more diverse and inclusive bench and bar. Through interactive workshops and discussions, you will gain knowledge and learn strategies to help create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment in your organization and in the State of Connecticut.

You Will Learn  

• About the collaborative diversity pledge/plan and its goals
• Best practices related to identity, diversity, and justice  
• Current trends and updates in the DEI field

Agenda

Hon. Cecil J. Thomas, DE&I Committee Co-Chair, State of Connecticut Judicial Branch, Norwich

10:00 a.m. The Why and the How of Diversity and Inclusion: Integrating Diversity & Inclusion into How We Work

Dr. Arin Reeves, Nextions

As a researcher, author, and top advisor to leaders in companies, firms, and organizations globally, Dr. Arin N. Reeves offers expertise and insights on a wide range of leadership and workplace culture topics. Arin is the best-selling author of The Next IQ, One Size Never Fits All, and Smarter Than A Lie. Her latest book is In Charge: The Energy Management Guide for Badass Women Who Are Tired of Being Tired. Arin has designed and led comprehensive research projects on topics including gender equity, LGBTQIA diversity, racial/ethnic diversity, cultural integration, implicit bias, transformational leadership, energy management, and working through generational differences. She has worked on these issues globally and has been recognized as a Fulbright Specialist in these areas where she works with government and other organizations internationally to create greater inclusion and equity. She is the founder and managing director of the research and advisory firm Nextions, which specializes in workplace culture change. Additionally, Arin created The JEDI Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion globally. Arin began her career as a practicing attorney. She then earned her doctorate in sociology at Northwestern University, where she has served as an Adjunct Professor teaching classes on law and society.

Kenji Yoshino, Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging

Kenji Yoshino is the Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and the Director of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. A graduate of Harvard (AB summa cum laude), Oxford (MSc as a Rhodes Scholar) and Yale (JD), he specializes in constitutional law, antidiscrimination law, and law and literature. He received tenure at Yale Law School, where he served as Deputy Dean before moving to NYU. Yoshino has published in major academic journals, including the Harvard Law Review, the Stanford Law Review, and the Yale Law Journal. He has also written for more popular forums, including the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Yoshino is the author of three books. His fourth book (co-authored with David Glasgow), Say the Right Thing: How to Talk About Identity, Diversity, and Justice was published by Simon & Schuster in February 2023. Yoshino has served as the President of the Harvard Board of Overseers. He currently serves on the Board of the Brennan Center for Justice and Meta’s Oversight Board (the body that adjudicates content moderation for Facebook and Instagram). He also serves on advisory boards for diversity and inclusion for Morgan Stanley and Charter Communications, and on the board of his children's school. He has won numerous awards for his teaching and scholarship, including the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award, the Peck Medal in Jurisprudence, and the University's Distinguished Teaching Award. He lives in Manhattan with his husband, two children, and a Great Dane.

2:30 p.m. A Chief Justice’s Reflection on DEI

Hon. Richard A. Robinson (Ret.), Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court

Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court Richard "Ric" Robinson (ret.) brings a unique perspective after serving in courts throughout Connecticut before being appointed to the Connecticut Appellate Court in 2007, and the Connecticut Supreme Court in 2013. His 24-year tenure on the bench has equipped him with a deep understanding of the legal landscape. When appointed by then-Governor Dannel P. Malloy in 2018, Chief Justice Robinson (ret.) became the first African American Chief Justice in the history of the Connecticut Supreme Court. He started his legal career serving as Staff Counsel for the Law Department of the City of Stamford, where he was born and raised. In 1988, he became Assistant Corporation Counsel in Stamford, and then, he was appointed to be a Judge of the Superior Court in 2000. Prior to joining the State Appellate Court, during his seven years as a Superior Court Judge, Chief Justice Robinson (ret.)  served as Presiding Judge (Civil) for the New Britain Judicial District (2003-2006) and the Stamford Judicial District (2007); and Assistant Administrative Judge for the Ansonia/Milford Judicial District (2006-2007). Chief Justice Robinson (ret.)  has been praised for promoting the use of technology in the judicial system; ensuring that people had access to the courts, especially during the pandemic; and making progress on diversity, equity and inclusion during his years of service on the Connecticut bench.

Cost 

Free

Parking Information

Free parking is available at the DEI Summit. Attendees should park in the Gateway Garage (located at 171 Crown Street, New Haven, CT). After parking in the Gateway Garage, attendees can stay inside and will not need to go back outside because the garage connects directly to the North Building, which houses the Curran Community Center. In the Gateway Garage, there are elevators in the southeast corner of each level of the parking garage. Attendees will take the elevators inside the Gateway Garage to the first floor, where there is an entrance to Gateway’s North Building and its Curran Community Center.