Whether the specialty is immigration, business, postconviction work, family or personal injury, bilingual attorneys believe their knowledge of other languages not only gives them an edge in their representation of clients, but that the expertise is needed more than ever with Connecticut getting more diverse.

“Being able to send that message that we can speak your language helps open doors,” said Prerna Rao of Omnia Law in Trumbull. “It’s really important for people to feel like they can connect with whomever their legal advocate is. It’s not just the language, it’s also the ability to connect with them on a cultural level. If people are more comfortable with their attorneys, we can also better help them achieve their goals.”