DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Halloran & Sage, LLP fully recognizes the importance of diversity within our Firm and have committed philosophically and financially the resources necessary to recruit, retain and develop a diverse group of talented, skilled attorneys and legal professionals. Individuals that reflect the diverse community in which we live and work are a valuable asset to the Firm. Diversity encourages enriched thinking, varied perspectives and insightful solutions, all of which are critical components in providing superior service to our clients.

In order to achieve meaningful, measurable and lasting progress toward greater inclusion of diverse legal talent, the Firm has created a Diversity Committee consisting of partners and senior administrators. This committee has been charged with the oversight of all diversity initiatives throughout the Firm. With the full support of Firm Management, the Diversity Committee shall strive to:

Work in concert with the Recruitment Committee to increase our efforts to recruit minority law students and legal professionals;
Further develop our relationships with universities and local communities who share the same diversity goals;
Oversee Firm sponsorships and participation in and support for minority organizations and bar associations;
Communicate the importance of diversity to employees of the Firm, develop new ideas to attract and increase diversity and create an inclusive environment; and
Monitor and report on progress/results to the Firm management.

RECRUITMENT

Halloran & Sage maintains strong relationships with local and outside universities who share the Firm's diversity goals. We are active participants in the University of Connecticut's Cultural Diversity Initiative and routinely interview and hire first year associates from various multi-cultural backgrounds for the Firm's summer associate program. It is our hope that through mentoring, training, and support for talented young lawyers/law students and legal professionals, each will recognize our commitment to developing a diverse workforce and, as a result, enjoy a long and successful career at Halloran & Sage. Our recruitment efforts extend to attorneys at all levels. We encourage all our lawyers to participate in organizations that reflect diversity among their membership and support diversity goals in an effort to identify and attract diverse lateral candidates as well.

RETENTION

Recruiting the right individuals is only the first step in what we hope will be a long journey at Halloran & Sage. Our plan is to create and maintain an environment that fosters both commitment to our clients and commitment to our families and personal lives. We respect individual circumstances and will adapt accordingly. The collective experience at Halloran & Sage is well balanced with attorneys from a variety of legal and non-legal backgrounds. We have many of the finest litigators and transactional attorneys in the state; all willing to share their knowledge and experience with new recruits. Members of our Firm also provide in-house training for all attorneys on topical legal issues relevant to our legal practice and overall client development.

The Firm cultivates active participation by women and minorities at all levels of Firm management. Female and minority partners hold prominent leadership positions chairing our Professional Development Committee and Strategic Planning Committee, and are also members of the Executive and Recruitment Committees. Women and minorities are also at the helm of many administrative departments including Firm Administration, the Systems Department, Human Resources, the Billing Department, and our Marketing Department.

DEVELOPMENT AND ADVANCEMENT

Halloran & Sage attorneys are active members in numerous organizations that support the professional development and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds.

Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity, Inc. (LCD): This organization was formed by attorneys to answer the call for diversity in Connecticut law firms, corporations, public sector entities, law schools and the Connecticut Bar Association. Our attorneys regularly sponsor, attend and support LCD events and the Firm contributes generous financial support to this organization.
One of our minority female partners is vice-chair of the Defense Research Institute Committee on Women in the Courtroom. This Committee is comprised of only eight women nationwide and is examining the role of women within a law firm, their opportunities for advancement and promotion, firm policies relating to women and how to conquer the marketing and professional challenges women face.
Other female partners are active members and boardroom sponsors of the Real Estate Exchange and the Society for Women Environmental Professionals. The Real Estate Exchange provides networking opportunities for women involved in all aspects of real estate development. The Society of Woman Environmental Professionals is dedicated to fostering information exchange and networks for women working in fields related to environmental matters.
We have active members in the Connecticut American Pacific Bar Association and the Professional Women in Construction Association.
We contribute generously to South Asian Bar Association of CT and the Connecticut Hispanic Bar Association.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY

As one of the largest law firms in the state servicing public and private sector clients, we are committed to our community. Halloran & Sage has dedicated time, talent and financial resources to a wide range of community events that foster and celebrate the diversity in our community. A representative sampling of the initiatives that our Firm supports includes:

Habitat for Humanity: For many years attorneys and staff from our Firm have organized to renovate a local house for an underprivileged family.
Mayor Perez's Rising Stars for Hartford: Halloran & Sage has made significant donations to this local organization which provides money for youth sports activities, community programs, emergency family assistance and education. Our funding has allowed this charity to send Hartford students on a tour of historically black colleges and provide inner city children with much needed school supplies.
Salvation Army: Halloran & Sage is actively involved in a program sponsored by the Salvation Army, Girl's Inc. The goal of Girl's Inc. is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. Our Firm's program offers a group of inner-city girls an overview of our firm, as well as an opportunity to meet professional women and participate in a mock trial.
New Britain Youth and Family Services: Our attorneys initiated a collaborative outreach effort among the New Britain Bar Association and New Britain Youth and Family Services. In recognition of our support, Halloran & Sage was named Corporate Sponsor of the Year and the New Britain Bar Association was awarded the non-profit entity of the year by the Mayor of New Britain and New Britain Youth and Family Services.
Friendship Center: The Firm has contributed generously to the Center's campaign to end homelessness in Greater New Britain.