Murtha Means More

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

    As a founding member of Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, Murtha Cullina endorses and adopts LCD’s Message on Racial and Social Injustice. We look forward to collaborating with LCD and other leaders in the legal industry to create constructive, tangible, and sustainable change in our profession.

    For decades, Murtha Cullina lawyers and staff have served as champions of diversity, equity and inclusion within the firm, the legal profession and our communities. 


    Within the Firm
    Murtha’s longstanding commitment to strengthening our DEI efforts inside the firm begins with recruiting, retaining and promoting minority and women lawyers and staff from all backgrounds. With the support of our Executive, Recruiting and Associates Committees, Murtha’s DEI Committee fortifies our inclusive culture by planning and hosting events throughout the year that celebrate the achievements of diverse groups and shine the light on inequities they continue to face. 

    We are extremely proud to have earned an A rating from Above the Law for our gender diversity and the fact we were one of the first firms in the U.S. to elect two women as managing partners, Elizabeth J. Stewart (2009-2014) and Jennifer Morgan DelMonico (2015-2020). Leading the firm today is Andy I. Corea who is of South Asian descent. In addition, two of our four department chairs are women, and at least one woman has been a member of our Executive Committee since 2009. 


    Within the Legal Profession
    Recognizing the need to advance diversity in the legal profession, Murtha joined a group of concerned lawyers in 2003 to form what is now known as the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity (LCD). As a founding member of the organization, we helped unite the resources of the region’s leading corporations, public sector entities, law firms, law schools and state bar associations to accelerate authentic change within the profession. We continue to advance LCD’s mission by participating in outreach activities, educational programs and networking events that foster inclusivity through engagement and understanding. 

    In addition to being one of the first firms to take the Connecticut Bar Association’s Pledge of Gender Equity, Murtha lawyers also play active roles in the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association, the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association and the South Asian Bar Association.


    Within our Communities
    Murtha’s DEI commitment includes initiatives that reach far beyond our firm and legal colleagues to make a positive impact within the larger community. Several years ago, we established Women Expanding Business (WEB) to encourage, promote and support the professional development of women at our firm and in the business community. We were a founding member of the Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO), the state’s first gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) chamber of commerce. 

    Murtha lawyers and staff also make a difference in our communities by volunteering their time, talent and leadership skills to make a difference in the lives of underserved minorities, immigrants and people in need. 
     

    Internal DEI Initiatives

    • February: Black History Month
    • March: Women's History Month
    • May/June: Women Expanding Business
    • June: LGBTQ
    • September: Implicit Bias
    • November: Firm Retreat DEI presentation

    External DEI Activities

    • Young Lawyers of Color - career path panel discussion
    • LCD Summer Internship Program
    • LCD Mentorship Program
    • Expanded platform of recruitment to affinity groups to attract minority candidates

    Murtha DEI Committee

    Dana R. Bucin, Chair

    Daniel C. Cohn
    Andy I. Corea
    Proloy K. Das
    Jennifer Morgan DelMonico
    Michelle Doran
    Jodie L. Driscoll
    Alyssa R. Ferreone
    Deirdre D. Foley
    Salvatore G. Gangemi
    Juliana Garcia-Uribe
    Taruna Garg
    Raquel Herrera-Soto
    Madiha M. Malik
    Amy McDuff
    Vincent R. Merola
    Lisa Newfield
    Patricia E. Reilly
    Arielle M. Smitt
    Suzanne Brown Walsh
     

  • Women Expanding Business

    Women Expanding Business (“WEB”) was established several years ago as a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative of the firm that seeks to encourage, promote and support the professional development of women in our firm and in the business community.  The group and its events are open to all attorneys who are supportive of the Group’s mission.

  • Social Responsibility

    We believe that being responsible citizens of the world requires us to support the communities in which we work and live in meaningful ways, ones that support and improve the well-being of people of all walks of life. We understand that social responsibility encompasses not merely money and goods donated, but our contribution of time, resources and expertise to community service, diversity and inclusion initiatives, pro bono work, sustainability and renewable energy. Our actions benefit our connected world today and for future generations.

    Leading the Way

    Our history of social responsibility activism starts at home.

    We are one of the very few law firms anywhere to have not one, but two successive female managing partners, Elizabeth J. Stewart (2009-2014) and Jennifer Morgan DelMonico (2015-2020), who is currently serving. Both Elizabeth and Jennifer have also served as past Chairs of the Litigation Department.

    Similarly, the Firm was one of the first in Connecticut to subscribe to the Connecticut Association’s Pledge of Gender Equity. We were a founding member of the Connecticut Alliance for Business Opportunities (CABO), the State’s first and only Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Chamber of Commerce.

    Serving our Communities

    Murtha Cullina participates in the following legal, civic and philanthropic institutions:

    Anti-Defamation League

    Boston Bar Foundation

    Boston Chamber of Commerce

    Community Foundation of Greater New Haven

    Connecticut Veterans Legal Center

    Greater Boston Legal Services

    Greater Hartford Legal Aid Foundation

    Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce

    Hartford County Bar Foundation

    Lex Mundi Pro Bono Foundation

    Leadership Fairfield County

    Leadership Greater New Haven

    New Haven Legal Assistance

    New Haven County Bar Foundation

    Many of our lawyers participate on boards involved with charitable works, cultural institutions, social and community services, historic preservation, pro bono legal services, renewable energy, child care services, and healthcare institutions, including:

    Connecticut Appleseed

    Connecticut Immigrant and Refugee Coalition

    Easter Seals Goodwill Industries

    Friends of New Haven Legal Assistance

    HARC

    Junior Achievement

    Lawyers for Children America

    Planned Parenthood Votes!

    Saugatuck Child Care Services

    South Shore Hospital

    United Way

    Additionally, our lawyers and staff support in numerous charitable organizations throughout the year, including:

    Boys and Girls Village

    Center for Children’s Advocacy

    Hands of Hartford’s MANNA Community Meals

    Operation Smile

    reSET (Social Enterprise Trust)

    The May Center (Boston, MA)

    Pro Bono Work

    Murtha Cullina has a long history of pro bono service. We work with the State-wide legal services programs to handle cases for clients they cannot serve. We also assist various non-profit organizations with their representation of children in juvenile and family court. Our corporate lawyers assist non-profits with governance issues, and we have also assisted organizations like Habitat for Humanity with real estate transactions. Our representation of military veterans has led to awards for our service. We also accept cases for indigent individuals from the federal court. The firm requires all attorneys to perform pro bono service. Dedicated attorneys provide much more time than the Firm requires.

    Entrepreneur Group

    Our Entrepreneur Practice Group gives back to our communities by offering free legal consultations for entrepreneurs and start-up companies. The primary goal of the Entrepreneur Group is to build a supportive community around entrepreneurship. To that end, Murtha Cullina has strong local relationships with community co-working spaces and entrepreneur centers including ReSET (Hartford) and The Grove (New Haven). Murtha Cullina’s entrepreneur attorneys mentor innovators on a daily basis, and at events such as the Innovation Summit, University of Connecticut’s Innovation Quest, as well as in connection with local accelerator programs.

    When the Connecticut Legislature passed a bill allowing Benefit Corporations in the State, our Entrepreneur Group served as a great resoure to those interested in this unique kind of business. A benefit corporation is a type of business corporation, incorporated under the Connecticut Business Corporation Act, but with a broadened purpose to have a social impact.

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