February 10, 2026

5:30 PM to 8:30 PM (Eastern Standard Time)

Pond House

1555 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, Connecticut, United States

49 people have already registered for this event.

  • Sara Bonaiuto
  • Karla Hall
  • Jermaine Brookshire Jr.
  • Kyle Bechet
  • Robert Schroeder
  • Megan Nielsen
  • Taylor LaPira
  • Amanda Blake
  • Paige Vaillancourt
  • Johnny Ross
  • Victoria Rozario
  • Jacqueline Fairweather
  • Christina Mercado
  • Olivia Benson
  • Hugh Sokolski
  • Sarah Niemiroski
  • Margaret Murolo
  • Aimee Sportini
  • Kaila Coleman
  • Alison Toumekian
  • Hannah Lauer
  • Jayna Velez-Molina
  • Paulette Eze
  • Jeff Beck
  • Jaeden Spitale
  • Michelle Antao
  • Robin Kallor
  • Kimberly Winter
  • Dylan Takores
  • Mirjami Ylinen
  • AMANDA WALSH
  • Fizza Alam
  • Nicole Dwyer
  • Catherine Baiocchi
  • Carla Ochoa
  • Alex Davenport
  • Marc Dispenza
  • Pallavi George
  • Yeraida Reinheimer
  • Taciano Reinheimer
  • Tamara Titre
  • Kelly DeSalvatore
  • Amanda Nugent
  • Brittany Turner
  • Ashley Palma
  • Nakita Singh
  • Niki Abossedgh
  • Kris Perez
  • Éva Willamowski

Keynote Presenter

Matt Ritter, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives

Distinguished Panel

Prerna Rao, Principal at Omnia Law
Moyahoena Ogilvie, Partner at McCarter & English
Dru Levasseur, Principal at Dru Levasseur Consulting, LLC
Elicia Pegues Spearman, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and former General Counsel for Quinnipiac University

Moderator

Moses Beckett, Director of Housing Advocacy for Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut

Program Description

The CBA Young Lawyers Section is thrilled to announce the return of our Diversity Dinner for its second year, taking place on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at the beautiful Pond House Café starting at 5:30pm. On behalf of our Executive Committee, we invite you to join us in celebrating the strength and richness of diversity within the legal community.

This year, we are honored to welcome Matt Ritter, Speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives, as our keynote speaker. Thereafter, we will welcome our distinguished panel: Prerna Rao – Principal at Omnia Law; Moyahoena Ogilvie – Partner at McCarter & English; Dru Levasseur – Principal at Dru Levasseur Consulting, LLC; and Elicia Pegues Spearman – CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and former General Counsel for Quinnipiac University. The conversation will be moderated by Moses Beckett, Director of Housing Advocacy for Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, and together, they will share their personal experiences navigating diversity within the legal profession and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

Guests will enjoy a plated dinner of their choice (Roasted Frenched Chicken Breast, Black Angus Sirloin Strip Steak, or Vegan Miso-Glazed Grilled Japanese Eggplant) and the opportunity to connect with colleagues, peers, and leaders who share a commitment to fostering inclusion across the legal profession. We look forward to seeing you there!

Proceeds from this event will be donated to the CBA’s Future of the Legal Profession Scholars Program, which provides a full scholarship for an LSAT preparation course through The Princeton Review and mentoring for aspiring Connecticut-area, first generation law students who have demonstrated a commitment to diversity or who have overcome adversity in their pursuit of a legal career. You can make a direct donation to the FLPS Program HERE.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Hugh T. Sokolski, Jr. (Hugh.Sokolski@jacksonlewis.com) for more information.

Schedule

5:30 p.m. Registration and Cocktails
6:00 p.m. Dinner and Panel Discussion
8:00 p.m. Q&A

CT CLE Credit

1.5 CT Credit (Ethics)

Cost

$30 Non YLS / Non Law Students
$20 Young Lawyers Section Members
$15 Law Students / Legal Profession Scholars
(Seating is Limited – All proceeds from this event will be donated to the CBA’s Future of the Legal Profession Scholars Program).

SECURE YOUR SPOT NOW! TICKET SALES END FEBRUARY 2, 2026!




Presenting Sponsor



Advocate for Diversity



Partner in Diversity



Associate in Diversity



Friend of Diversity

Contact

Member Service Center
Email: msc@ctbar.org