Members and supporters of the Lawyers Collaborative for Diversity gathered Wednesday, May 31, at the Mattatuck Museum in Waterbury to honor two accomplished attorneys for their work in advancing diversity in the legal industry.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut Vanessa Roberts Avery received LCD’s Edwin Archer Randolph Diversity Award, named for the first lawyer of color admitted to the Connecticut bar in 1880. The historical figure Randolph, like Avery, was a New Haven native who went on to public service in many capacities. He was a graduate of Yale University and the Georgetown University Law Center and was instrumental in helping advance the careers of lawyers and other professionals of color.