Presented by The Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee
About the Program
For over a decade, the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit has been a cornerstone of our collective journey toward a more inclusive and equitable legal profession. What began in 2016 as a bold initiative has grown into a powerful tradition that brings together leaders, changemakers, and advocates from across Connecticut to learn, reflect, and act. The Summit also serves as the annual convening of the signatories to the Connecticut Legal Community's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Pledge and Plan — a coalition of over 40 organizations committed to long-term, meaningful change. Please join us on Friday, October 23, 2026, for the 11th Annual Connecticut Bar Association Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint.
Agenda
8:30 AM Breakfast & Registration
9:00 AM Welcome Remarks
9:15 AM Signatory Analytics Overview | Hon. Cecil J. Thomas
10:00 AM Break
10:00 AM Beyond DEI Programs: Actionable Strategies for Retention in the Legal Profession | Dr. Arin N. Reeves
Despite years of robust DEI initiatives, retention numbers across the legal profession have remained largely unchanged. This interactive workshop moves past the question of whether organizations are committed to diversity and instead focuses on individual initiatives that tackle the main drivers of attrition: ambient fatigue recognition, energy management, and effective feedback.
12:00 PM Lunch
12:15 PM Working Session | Dr. Arin N. Reeves
1:15 PM Panel Discussions
3:00 PM Closing Remarks | Mallori D. Thompson
Speakers
Dr. Arin N. Reeves
Nextions
Dr. Arin N. Reeves is a renowned researcher, best-selling author, and trusted advisor to global leaders navigating the evolving landscape of leadership and workplace culture. Her work spans critical themes, including emotional intelligence, energy management, diversity and inclusion, transformational leadership, generational dynamics, and organizational change. Known for her intellectual depth and practical insights, Dr. Reeves helps executives lead with clarity, equity, and resilience in increasingly complex environments. Her research and advisory work are grounded in a commitment to challenging norms and inviting contrarian perspectives that drive transformational growth. Arin is the author of several influential books, including The Next IQ, One Size Never Fits All, Smarter Than a Lie and In Charge. Her newest title, Ethical Influence Under Pressure: Choosing Integrity to Create Change that Endures, dives into what it means to create change with integrity and the deeper architecture of influence in our world today. She has led groundbreaking research initiatives on gender equity, LGBTQIA+ visibility, racial and ethnic diversity, cultural integration, implicit bias, energy management, and generational collaboration. As founder and managing director of Nextions, a firm specializing in workplace culture change, and creator of The JEDI Collective, Arin has redefined how leaders and organizations approach progress. Beginning her career in law, Dr. Reeves earned her doctorate in sociology from Northwestern University, where she has also served as an Adjunct Professor teaching on law and society. Intellectually curious and unapologetically bold, she continues to push boundaries —helping leaders not just lead but evolve.
Mallori D. Thompson
CBA DEI Committee Chair, Robinson+Cole LLP
Mallori Deanna Thompson is an associate attorney in the business litigation practice group at Robinson+Cole. Mallori is also the Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and a faculty member for the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Civics Academy. Previously, she was a judicial law clerk for Chief Justice Richard A. Robinson (Ret.) of the Connecticut Supreme Court and Judge Victor A. Bolden of the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut. Mallori received her B.A. in Comparative Women's Studies with a concentration in Public Policy from Spelman College and her J.D. and Human Rights Certificate from the University of Connecticut School of Law. While a student at UConn Law, she successfully represented an asylum seeker in a removal proceeding, completed the Community Justice Fellowship at Greater Hartford Legal Aid, and published articles in the Michigan Journal of Race & Law, the Georgetown Journal of Law and Modern Critical Race Perspectives, and various other journals on a variety of subjects such as maternal mortality, reparations, and economic justice. Mallori also served as the first Black Editor-in-Chief of the Connecticut Law Review. Mallori serves on Robinson+Cole's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion + Belonging Committee and is the Immediate Past President of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association. Mallori has been named a 2026 Next Generation of Leaders (Law Firm) Winner as part of Corporate Counsel's Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards, and received the 2024 Graduates of the Last Decade Impact Award from the UConn Law Alumni Association, the 2023 Robinson+Cole Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award, the 2021 American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education Scholarship & Leadership Award, and was a Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence 2019 First 100 Plus Honoree. She also recently completed over ten years of service as a Captain in the United States Army Reserves Medical Service Corps.
Cost
Free
Parking Information
Directions & Parking
Free parking is available in the Gateway Garage (171 Crown Street). Attendees should take the southeast elevators inside the garage to the first floor, where there is an entrance to Gateway’s North Building and its Curran Community Center.
CLE Credit
CT: 5.5 CLE Credits (Ethics)