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(From L to R) CBA Director of Access to Justice and Equity Song Kim; Past CBA President Amy Lin Meyerson;
John Rose, Jr.; History of Attorneys of Color Committee Chair Judge Robyn Stewart Johnson, Marilyn Diaz |
On April 2, the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA), the Connecticut Bar Foundation (CBF), the CBF James W. Cooper Fellows, and Quinnipiac University School of Law co-hosted a video premiere at Quinnipiac’s law school campus that highlighted four trailblazing attorneys of color in CT: Marilyn Diaz; Past CBA President Amy Lin Meyerson; Judge M. Nawaz Wahla; and John Rose, Jr.
The evening began with a reception, offering attendees an opportunity to connect and socialize before the video screening. The video, which was screened in the law school’s ceremonial courtroom, consisted of content taken from interviews with each of the four highlighted legal professionals. It explored personal stories from each of them ranging from Attorney Rose’s pioneering experiences as an African American attorney in Connecticut, Judge Nawaz Wahla’s past career in the Pakistani military, Attorney Meyerson’s participation in forming an Asian affinity student group in Law School, and Attorney Diaz’s experience working with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Following the premiere, the video’s participants answered questions from the audience, sharing anecdotes about the challenges they faced and the progress they and others have made in expanding diversity within the legal profession. When asked how she has continued to support the next generation of attorneys of color, Attorney Meyerson answered, “I have continued to show up at the associations of the American Bar, the Connecticut Bar, the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association so I can engage with younger attorneys and hopefully assist them when I see opportunities that I come across and recommend these folks for those opportunities.”
The History of Attorneys of Color video project is part of a broader initiative to document and share the history of attorneys of color in Connecticut, with the goal of educating and inspiring future generations. By capturing these personal narratives, the initiative seeks to ensure that the experiences and achievements of these attorneys remain an enduring part of Connecticut’s legal history.
View Photos from the Event