Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
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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 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 Bucin, Chair
Daniel Cohn
Andy Corea
Jennifer Morgan DelMonico
Michelle Doran
Jodie Driscoll
Alyssa Ferreone
Deirdre Foley
Salvatore Gangemi
Juliana Garcia-Uribe
Taruna Garg
Raquel Herrera-Soto
Madiha Malik
Amy McDuff
Vincent Merola
Lisa Newfield
Patricia Reilly
Arielle Smitt
Suzanne Brown Walsh
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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.
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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.
