Robinson+Cole has joined the newly-established Law Firm Antiracism Alliance (LFAA), an organization that is facilitating the coordination of its member firms to best enable legal services organizations, and the LFAA, to create large-scale, coordinated pro bono projects that address systemic racism.
According to its charter, “recent events have affirmed and highlighted the need and responsibility for law firms to do more in partnership with legal services organizations to identify and dismantle structural or systemic racism in the law.” LFAA recognizes that the collaborative efforts of law firms, in partnership with legal services organizations, other sectors of the legal profession and key stakeholders, have the potential to create deeper and more lasting change than through firms acting independently.
The purpose of the LFAA is to “leverage the resources of the private bar in partnership with legal services organizations to amplify the voices of communities and individuals oppressed by racism, to better use the law as a vehicle for change that benefits communities of color and to promote racial equity in the law.”
“Robinson+Cole is proud to participate in the LFAA,” said Stephen E. Goldman, Managing Partner of Robinson & Cole LLP. “We look forward to participating in this coordinated effort to promote inclusion and challenge racial and social injustice.”
Joining the LFAA is the most recent in a number of steps Robinson+Cole has taken in its ongoing efforts to promote diversity and inclusion and challenge racial and social inequities. In June, the firm completed its first year involvement in Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule 3.0 and recommitted to Mansfield Rule 4.0, a year-long certification process developed to increase the representation of diverse lawyers in leadership positions by broadening the pool of women, lawyers of color, lawyers with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ lawyers who are considered for significant governance roles, partner promotions, lateral partner and senior associate hiring and inclusion in business development initiatives. In addition, the firm’s Diversity & Inclusion and Wellness Committees hosted a “Town Hall Meeting” on June 24, 2020 to give lawyers and staff an opportunity to thoughtfully and respectfully hear and share perspectives about racial injustice and inequality. More than 230+ people participated in the discussion, which was led by Joelle Murchison, Executive Director of the Lawyers Collaborative of Diversity (LCD). Robinson+Cole Diversity & Inclusion Committee Chair, John B. Lynch, Jr., who is also a former Managing Partner of the firm, is the Immediate Past President of LCD. Robinson+Cole has also been ranked in the AmLaw 200 2020 Pro Bono Scorecard, and the firm recently teamed up with the Connecticut Bar Association to form the Connecticut COVID-19 Small Business Virtual Legal Clinic to assist small, mostly minority-owned businesses suffering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
About Robinson+Cole
Robinson+Cole, an AmLaw 200 law firm established 175 years ago in Connecticut, has more than 200 lawyers in eleven offices throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Florida and California. We serve regional, national, and international clients, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies. Robinson+Cole is a service mark of Robinson & Cole LLP. For more information, please visit www.rc.com.