This program explores issues related to legal aid in Connecticut, examining both its history and current issues impacting legal services, and offers a vision for the future. CBF has recorded interviews of CT legal aid pioneers to capture the history and important milestones of the movement in CT, and hosted symposiums and speaker series.

Chief Justice Speziale was a pioneer in bringing alternative dispute resolution to Connecticut. Under his tutelage, our state became a national model on how to expedite cases. This biannual series dives into timely topics in ADR.

Connecticut Bar Foundation established a symposium series in memory of U.S. District Court Judge Mark R. Kravitz. Judge Kravitz was an extraordinary lawyer and judge and his passing in 2012 was a great loss to the judiciary and bar. The Foundation has established a board designated endowment to fund ongoing symposia to celebrate his legacy.

The Essay Contest encourages young people in Connecticut to think about and explore legal issues relevant to them by submitting an essay on a topic that Fellows develop. The contest is open to all CT students under the age of 21. Three winners are selected and receive prize money, which is presented at the Connecticut Supreme Court.

This nationally-recognized series was established by the Connecticut Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Foundation as an ongoing forum for the Connecticut legal community to explore issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. It is named in honor of civil rights trailblazer Judge Constance Baker Motley, with the goal of supporting and fostering renewed commitment to advancing civil rights and social justice. Events in this program run throughout the year.

Roundtables are virtual or in-person events, usually a dinner, held throughout the year that offer topic-focused discussions with other Fellows. They cover a broad range of subjects, driven by the Fellow who hosts the event. Attendance is limited in order to facilitate meaningful and open dialogue.

In 1999, Fellows initiated the Oral History of Connecticut Women in the Legal Profession Project, to create a permanent video, audio, and photographic historical record of milestone achievements of women as they have become more visible and achieved prominence in the field of law. This program continues to highlight the achievements of female lawyers and discuss the barriers to their full participation that persist in the legal profession today.

This program works to highlight, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of attorneys of color in Connecticut, and to inspire future generations. Current projects include capturing the stories of attorneys of color on video, publicizing their work on social media, and sharing the updated historical timeline created for their 2022 symposium.

Presented jointly by the Connecticut Bar Foundation, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Committee on Human Trafficking, and Quinnipiac’s Human Trafficking Prevention Project, this ongoing series explores the interactions between trafficking victims and the legal system—starting with the criminal justice system—and delves into continuing debates at the state and federal level about what reforms are needed to assist victims in escaping trafficking, rebuilding their lives after they have escaped, and preventing trafficking in the first instance.