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NEWS JUNE 21, 2021 ■ 7

Connecticut Law Firms Mark Juneteenth

With Closings, Presentations

By Robert Storace

t least five Connecticut law firms are marking
Juneteenth this year either with a day off, an
Aevent highlighting its importance, or encour-
aging their employees to read up on the day.
And one attorney said he’s ashamed he knew noth-
ing about Juneteenth until recently, and said firms,
including his, need to hire more Black lawyers.
Josh Koskoff, a partner with Koskoff Koskoff &
Bieder in Bridgeport, said he only learned about the
importance of Juneteenth, which commemorates
the emancipation of enslaved people in the United
States on June 19, 1865, last year while working on a
legal case against Harvard University with renowned
civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
“I had never heard of Juneteenth, and when Ben Photo: Marek Uliasz/Adobe Stock
Crump mentioned it to me I did not have the courage Rhonda Tobin, managing partner at Robinson &
to admit I did not know what it was. I was ashamed Cole in Hartford, said the firm is holding an educa-
I did not know about Juneteenth for many decades tional program June 16, rather than closing its 11
of my life,” Koskoff said. “Schools taught such a sim- offices in eight states.
plistic and binary historical view of the time period Robinson & Cole’s virtual town hall features
of slavery and the Civil War.” Shawn Rochester, author of “The Black Tax: The
Koskoff, who is white, said, “Juneteenth caused Cost of Being Black in America.” Moderating the
me to realize we celebrate July 4 as Independence event will be attorney Joelle Murchinson, executive
Day for white people.” director of Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity.
Koskoff also said law firms need to do more in All of Robinson & Cole’s staff were encouraged
hiring minority attorneys. Of the 18 attorneys at to buy the book, for which the firm will reimburse
Koskoff’s firm, only one is Black. them, and to ask questions following the presenta-
“It’s something we absolutely need to do better at,” tion.
he said. “I am very outspoken about it.” “The purpose of this is to educate people and
Koskoff said his firm will close its doors on Friday, open people’s minds to some of the history of Af-
since June 19 falls on a Saturday this year. Like several rican Americans in this country,” Tobin said. “The
other law firms in the state, Koskoff said he’s encour- book has some powerful statistics about the treat-
aging staff to contemplate the importance of the event. ment of African Americans in U.S. history and the
“We are asking people to reflect on that day on financial impact on those communities which con-
where we are now as a country and in our own com- tinues to today.”
munities,” Koskoff said. Juneteenth came into focus following the death
Other Connecticut law firms marking the day of George Floyd in May 2020 at the hands of
include Shipman & Goodwin, Robinson & Cole, Minneapolis police, many said.
Howd & Ludorf and Murtha Cullina. ■ Continued on PAGE 8

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