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Law firm’s diverse roots run deep

By: Melody Finnemore//July 24, 2019//

Law firm’s diverse roots run deep

By: Melody Finnemore//July 24, 2019//

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Michael Hupy - Hupy and Abraham
Michael Hupy – Hupy and Abraham

Michael Hupy regularly shares messages about his law firm’s history, including a message that highlights the attorney Lloyd Barbee, who started the Milwaukee Public Schools integration lawsuit.

“People, especially younger people, need to know that jumping on the diversity bandwagon now is far different than before. Instead of getting awards for diversity people received death threats back then, so people need to know that things were not always this way,” he said.

Hupy’s commitment to diversity shows in how his law firm is run. Hupy and Abraham is an EEO employer, has a significant number of employees who are people of color and members of the LGBTQ communities, and strives to provide a safe space within the workplace.

“I think it’s important because we want to give everyone a chance in our society. We want Lloyd Barbee’s work to have positive results today and it’s something that is long overdue, and we want to make sure that people in our firm are aware of our roots and how important it is to treat everyone equally,” he said.

Hupy is a founding member and principal benefactor of the Milwaukee Justice Center. To date, he has given more than $150,000 to the non-profit center, which provides legal services to those who would otherwise have no access. MJC has helped more than 20,000 people in the past two years, and most clients have incomes significantly below the poverty level.

Through his leadership, the firm has supported other legal organizations that assist marginalized groups, including the Wisconsin Equal Justice Fund, Legal Aid Society and Centro Legal.

Hupy has been an integral member of community boards such as the Center for Teaching Entrepreneurship, Career Youth Development and the Children’s Outing Association. The firm has supported the YMCA Black Achievers program for more than 20 years. Under Hupy’s direction, the firm has also given more than $100,000 to the NAACP for scholarships.

Hupy and Abraham has received the NAACP of Milwaukee’s Martin Luther King Jr. Award for its commitment to civil rights. Last year, the Salvation Army Chaplaincy Program recognized him with an Outstanding Individual Award for his commitment to crime prevention.

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