Attorney Tavis O. Tindall, of Tindall Law Firm, serves both the Waterbury and Hartford area through his firm. However, not only does he have 17 years of legal experience, but he has spent several years advocating for the Latino community as well.
Tindall said in order to cater to the needs of his Spanish-speaking clients, he purposefully hires Hispanic employees to his paralegal staff. He added that he makes it a point to offer his services to Latinos in need of legal aid.
Attorney by day, Tindall is also an active board member of the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury. He has been commended for his efforts with the affiliated Coqui Scholarship Awards and was honored by the organization, which named one of its annual scholarships after him.
Can you introduce yourself and explain your connection to the Latino community?
I own a law firm in Waterbury. I’ve been an attorney for about 17 years, and I have a real love for the Latino community. I’ve been fortunate enough to employ people of Latino descent, and I don’t only hire Latinos, obviously, but I can’t say enough about them. I call the [Latino Community] the Sleeping Giant. It’s a community that is on the rise and they’re becoming more and more educated, talented and quickly a dominant force.
What inspired you to become involved with the Latino community?
I grew up in Colorad, which had a very high concentration of Latinos, so I try to give back to that community. They are a very warm, loving, loyal and caring community.
What is your role on the Hispanic Coalition Board of Greater Waterbury?
I’m on the Hispanic Coalition Board and have been on for about five or six years. We try to give back to that community with scholarships through Coqui. We give out about ten scholarships, and the Tavis Tindall Scholarship is worth about $2,000. We also have a mentoring program called LACE which targets at-risk Latino youth. The aim is to mentor those who are struggling in school, lack role models, and troubled kids overall. We try to mentor with Socrates’ idea of a well-rounded person.
What advice for success do you have for Latinos?
Your time is now! The Latino population is on the rise. They’re running successful businesses and they need to believe they are the best. There’s a misconception, which plagued them in the past, that they have to result to crime, violence and drugs when it’s quite the contrary. Focus on school and get a good education. There are a lot of opportunities.