Hartford Business Journal

19 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | June 6, 2022 management role at the firm, director of talent and diversity. "That's a new position for us," said Managing Partner Richard L. Street. "We've never had someone in a management role who has subject responsibility for DEI issues. That's an important change that we've made to emphasize it." Amanda Nugent, who took the new post when it was created at the beginning of the year, said the role reflects the firm's years of work in the field. "We've always been a leader, but to create that position … really underscores how deep that commitment runs," she said. Nugent said she had been doing DEI work as a partner in Carmody's litigation group, but appreciates being able to devote more time to increase diversity both internally and externally. "I'm really excited to be in a position now where it is my full-time responsibility to be able to focus on creating pipelines of new talent who will someday enter law school and be part of the legal community here in Connecticut," Nugent said. Carmody has also been looking to younger age groups to widen its talent pipeline, Nugent said. In the last two years, the firm's internship program has enrolled undergraduates and high school students, "to show them what's possible, and to let them see themselves reflected in the legal space and to see what it's like to work in a firm like ours," Nugent said. Organizations like the Hartford- based Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity and Connecticut Bar Association have also added programs in recent years to reach younger students and spark an interest in the law. "That is definitely a trend, the recognition that we really need to support folks and introduce folks to the law as early in their career as possible," Nugent said. Clients are also increasingly interested in working with firms on DEI initiatives, Street said. Carmody partnered with Eversource in a program that has a law school intern spend half the summer with the energy provider's in-house legal team and half at the law firm. This year is the first time an undergraduate intern will take part in the summer program as part of a DEI scholars program. "Certainly I've seen that clients are much more willing to call up and have very frank conversations about DEI efforts and what we have done lately," Street said. "They are looking for real practical results rather than colorful brochures and statements." National best practices Both outreach to young people and managerial DEI efforts are a focus of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity, a national coalition of more than 400 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners. New Haven- based Wiggin and Dana joined the group in October as part of efforts to ramp up DEI, said Managing Partner Timothy Diemand. "This is just about moving the needle and making the whole industry better for diverse folks," Diemand said. "I see that when you kind of put that business competition aside and realize we're all in it together, it's really wonderful." Another recent DEI initiative at Wiggin and Dana is the expansion of billable hour credits beyond typical pro bono work to include DEI projects. Typically, attorneys from underrepresented groups do much of the "heavy lifting" in internal diversity efforts, Diemand said, so they should be paid for their time. "I think it's only fair for those team members to get appropriate credit for things that are important," Diemand said. "But also to really emphasize to all of our attorneys the importance of [DEI] at the firm level, and to hopefully encourage folks to be even more active in that space." Wiggin is also expanding its summer programs to include first- year law students. "Our hope is that this individual comes back for a second summer and a third summer," said Jana Simon, chief DEI officer at the firm. "It's been a rewarding experience for them and for us, as well. And we've had many summer associates join us full time after our summer associate program." Like many students from underrepresented communities, Jiménez-Franck of Pullman didn't have lawyers in his family, or personal connections in the profession when he set out on his path to become an attorney. A graduate of Naugatuck schools, he gained both concrete experience and a network of mentors in Pullman's program for first-year law students. "I had a lot of confidence issues in realizing whether or not it was a profession for me. So when I received the feedback it was very affirming, … it was very empowering," Jiménez-Franck said of the first-year law students summer program. 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