Cohen and Wolf Welcomes Attorney Michelle Duprey for Lunch & Learn on Disabilities, Diversity and Inclusion
On October 22, 2020, Cohen and Wolf’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee hosted a Lunch & Learn with featured guest Attorney Michelle Duprey for a discussion about disabilities, diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. The Firm recognizes that the topic of disability is hugely important, yet often overlooked, when discussing diversity and inclusion.
The Firm was incredibly honored to have Attorney Michelle Duprey join us for this conversation. Michelle has a distinguished career navigating disability issues in employment law for both employers and employees, and she currently serves as the Director for the Department of Services for Persons with Disabilities for the City of New Haven. She is a leading advocate in Connecticut for people with disabilities and has truly devoted her career to being a champion for diversity and the disabled community.
In her presentation, Michelle noted that a core tenet of the legal profession is the importance of confronting discrimination, yet within the systems designed to educate, train, and employ individuals within the profession, there are challenges and barriers for people with disabilities. Michelle provided attendees with data about the current representation of people with disabilities in the legal field in Connecticut. She also educated the audience about the challenges disabled individuals face, with both visible and invisible disabilities, within the profession. Michelle’s presentation sparked great participation from attendees and she challenged those in attendance to question the way in which we as a society think about disabilities. She emphasized that workers with disabilities, particularly in the legal field, are a tremendous asset and should be sought after and valued as such.
Lastly, Michelle provided outstanding video resources for continuing thought and discussion about this topic. For those interested, some of these resources include:
- Why Hire Lawyers With Disabilities?
The ABA Commission on Disability Rights and the Law School Admission Council, November 2020 - Stella Young: I'm not your inspiration, thank you very much
TEDxSydney , April 2014 -
"What Will You Gain When You Lose?”: Disability Gain, Creativity, & Human Difference
Serendip Studio, nbarker, November 2014
Cohen and Wolf sincerely thanks Attorney Michelle Duprey for her willingness to take part in our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lunch & Learn Series and we look forward to continuing these conversations.
