 |
| (From L to R) Moderator Moses Beckett and Panelists Dru Levasseur, Elicia Pegues Spearman, Moy N. Ogilvie, and Prerna Rao |
Over 150 attendees gathered at the Pond House Café in West Hartford on February 10 for the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) Young Lawyers Section’s (YLS) 2026 Diversity Dinner. The event’s primary presentations included a keynote address from Representative Matt Ritter, who currently serves as the speaker of the Connecticut House of Representatives and a panel discussion which included Dru Levasseur, principal at Dru Levasseur Consulting LLC; Moy N. Ogilvie, partner at McCarter & English; Elicia Pegues Spearman, CEO of Girl Scouts of Connecticut and former general counsel for Quinnipiac University; and Prerna Rao, principal at Omnia Law. The panel was moderated by Attorney Moses Beckett, the director of the housing unit at Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut.
The evening began with welcome remarks from YLS Diversity Director Hugh T. Sokolski, Jr. “Your presence here reflects something important,” noted Sokolski as he addressed the attendees. “That diversity, equity, and inclusion are not abstract ideals, but shared commitments that bring us together in community.” After his introduction, Attorney Sokolski introduced Symone Trout, who spoke as a representative of the event’s Presenting Sponsor, Jackson Lewis. In her remarks, Attorney Trout focused on various reasons why it is important to support diversity, equity, and inclusion in the legal profession. “Valuing diversity not only helps us advise our clients thoughtfully, but also understand our clients more fully, because they too come from a broad range of backgrounds,” stated Attorney Trout.
 |
| Keynote Presenter Connecticut Representative Matt Ritter |
During the dinner’s keynote speech, State Representative Ritter spoke about the current issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion within Connecticut. He explained how as recently as the 1960s, racial discrimination in housing occurred throughout the state through practices such as redlining and pointed out the need to recognize this history and address ongoing inequities still occurring. Ritter continued by noting more recent examples of the expansion of equity within the state, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage, and emphasizing the importance of having a variety of diverse perspectives represented in the state legislature. Towards the end of his remarks, Ritter encouraged committing consistent effort to the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion. “If every person with means and abilities took an hour a week or four hours a month to think about how they were going to help one person or one issue, how much better would we be as a city or as a country?,” noted Ritter.
Following the event’s keynote speech, moderator Moses Beckett introduced the panel discussion portion of the evening. The panelists consisted of prestigious Connecticut legal professionals from a range of diverse identities and backgrounds. They each spoke about their lived experiences and the unique challenges they faced in their careers. When asked what piece of guidance she wish someone had shared with her earlier in her career, Prerna Rao responded, “Get Involved. There’s so many practice areas as far as associations but also in your local community, whether it’s a political town committee, nonprofit, rotary club, whatever it might be. At minimum it’s a referral source and will expand your client base. At most you can have a better life, find something out about yourself, and become a better lawyer.”
 |
| (From L to R) YLS Treasurer Jermaine A. Brookshire, Jr.; YLS Chair-elect Sara Bonaiuto; YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt; CBA President Emily A. Gianquinto; CBA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Vianca T. Malick; YLS Secretary Olivia Benson; and CBA Executive Director Lina Lee. |
Following the panel discussion, CBA President Emily Gianquinto addressed the audience, providing brief closing remarks for the event, thanking the Young Lawyers Section for organizing the dinner and those in attendance for engaging in such important discussions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion.
View More Photos