Founded in 1947 to enhance the voice and involvement of young lawyers in the Connecticut Bar Association, the Young Lawyers Section includes all CBA members who are thirty-seven years of age or younger, or have been practicing less than six years, and all law student members of the CBA. Nearly 25 percent of all CBA members are currently Young Lawyers. The activities of the YLS are governed by an executive committee, which includes over sixty members and meets monthly. The executive committee consists of elected officers, directors, advisors, diversity liaisons, coordinators, co-chairs of program-related and substantive committees, and various local or regional bar association chairs.
The stated mission of the YLS is to further the association’s goals and purposes and, thereby, to serve the community and the legal profession; to represent members in the association and to represent the association to members; to help shape the policies and priorities that affect members and the legal culture in which they practice; to create a deliberate forum for the exchange and expression of members’ views and a voice to advocate views; to promote diversity within the association, the bar, and Connecticut’s law schools; to perform acts of charitable service to the bar and the community; to provide continuing legal education; and to facilitate the participation of members in the American Bar Association.
While the YLS’s mission was refined in 2005, the underlying purpose remains the same—to serve new members of the CBA and the public while providing opportunities for leadership and professional development for all Connecticut attorneys. By this measurement and many others, the YLS has had another outstanding year.
Annual Report
No summary of the YLS’s accomplishments can do justice to the tremendous enthusiasm displayed by the executive committee. As a result of such energy, the YLS has organized more programs and events—benefiting both CBA members and the public—perhaps than ever before. With a limited budget, but with boundless creativity, the YLS has put on programs and events that touch on a wide variety of subjects that attorneys and the public were bound to have interest in.
The YLS began the year with its annual retreat, held in June 2005 at the Mystic Marriott Hotel & Spa in Mystic. This two-day event provided the new executive committee members with the opportunity to meet each other, to exchange ideas, and to get oriented as to the workings of the section. Connecticut Superior Court Chief Court Administrator Judge Joseph H. Pellegrino was our featured keynote speaker, and many of the CBA senior bar officers attended to offer their encouragement and words of support. We also officially kicked-off our Public Service Project at the retreat— Public Service Beyond the Courthouse Walls. To that end, several members of the newly appointed executive committee spent Saturday afternoon painting the Riverside Children’s Center, a facility that provides childcare on a sliding scale basis for local low-income families.
The YLS’s dedication to public service continued in full force in the wake of natural disaster, Hurricane Katrina. Led by Diversity Co-director Seth Wilson and Public Service/Pro Bono Vice Director Mickey Fox, the YLS was the first CBA section to mobilize and respond to hurricane relief efforts. Through a statewide drive and hundreds of hours of volunteer time, the YLS conservatively gathered and donated over $10,000 worth of supplies.
In October, as part of our commitment to diversity, the YLS established the first-annual Diversity Award. The purpose of the award is to honor someone who has shown a commitment to issues of diversity and inclusiveness as well as excelled in the practice and study of the law. The Diversity Award serves to recognize excellence in activities that have contributed to the achievement and advancement of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in the profession. With the help of Diversity Co-director Jessica Torres and Hispanic Bar Association Liaison Maggie Castinado, we honored Judge Lubbie Harper, Jr., for his accomplishments in this regard on October 19, 2005.
The YLS also continued its multiyear commitment to its member service project, The Equilibrium Project, which was launched during the 2004–05 bar year. Through Project Chairs Sandra Davis, Stacy Walsh, and Deb McKenna, the YLS continued to focus on issues of balancing work and life. The project has been a successful multiyear effort to examine issues affecting young lawyers and discuss how to maintain balance. The project has continued to provide relevant programming focused on work/life balance. As a follow-up to the Project Team’s 2004 fall survey of our members, the co-chairs presented a summary of the survey results at our November meeting, which was open to the entire section. The presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session as well as a discussion of the survey results. In March, the project held a second section-wide meeting and invited Professor Deborah A. Calloway from the University of Connecticut School of Law, who spoke on Contemplative Lawyering and provided attorneys with tips on making law practice less stressful and more meaningful. The project also held a meeting on financial planning for young lawyers and the importance of physical fitness and exercise.
The strength in this project can be seen in the continued demand for programming about work/life balance. Moreover, for the second consecutive year, this project received national recognition when it was selected to receive a member service grant from the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division. The YLS will continue to make these issues a focus of its programming in the next bar year.
Another standout program was this year’s Basic Practice Series ( BPS), organized and executed by CLE and Professional Ethics Directors Nicole Bernabo and Jonathan Weiner. The BPS built on the last two years’ foundation and produced a series of twelve continuing legal education seminars on topics including: depositions, employment and labor law, state civil practice, appellate advocacy, professional responsibility, bankruptcy, short calendar basics, estate planning, and real estate. Speakers represented diverse backgrounds, with both accomplished young lawyers presenting with non-YLS members. These programs were held at the CBALawCenter every Monday evening in the fall of 2005 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. More than 500 people attended the BPS, and the series raised over $35,000 in revenue to the CBA.
The YLS built on the success of the BPS this spring with its Advanced Practice Series ( APS). The APS consists of a series of twelve continuing legal education seminars on topics including: post-judgment collections, complex litigation, federal criminal practice, education litigation, advanced estate planning, advanced appellate practice, family law, employment law, and ethics law. Again, the programs were held at the CBALawCenter every Monday evening in the spring of 2006 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In January, the YLS tackled the issue of multi-jurisdictional practice. The chair appointed Dan Schwartz, Dan Krisch, Vincent Cervoni, and John Shapiro to a special task force designed to look at the issue and to make recommendations to the YLS. As a result of many hours of hard work, the task force prepared a written summary of their finding, which was distributed to the YLS Executive Committee. At our January meeting, Vinny Cervoni and John Shapiro led a discussion on multi-jurisdictional practice, detailing their findings and recommendations. As a result, the YLS nearly unanimously passed a motion to adopt the proposed new rules.
For years, the YLS has struggled to reach out to our membership as a whole. On April 1, 2006, the YLS held its second-annual Young Lawyers’ Gala, at 500 Blake Street. The event was extremely well-attended by YLS members and their guests, and all in attendance enjoyed a terrific night out with music, dancing, good food, and sponsorship provided by the Connecticut Law Tribune. Once again, the YLS gave away various raffle prizes (including cash giveaways!) and even hired a palm-reader to give attorneys a sense of their “futures!” This semi-formal event was a great success and generated a tremendous amount of excitement about the YLS. Special thanks and congratulations to YLS Treasurer Dan Krisch, Professional Development and Networking Coordinators Jennifer Black and Mareesa Torres, and the entire Gala Planning Committee for their hard work.
The YLS also continued the successful publication of its quarterly newsletter, The Cross Examiner. Each issue is distributed electronically and then posted on the YLS Web site to allow for maximum outreach to our members. The Cross Examiner, which is edited by Newsletter Editors Jeff White and Lee Matthews (still a law student!), has articles on various topics of interest to attorneys, from litigation tips and articles on substantive areas of practice to easy, “busy lawyer” recipes. In addition, the newsletter has a calendar of events and a listing of who to contact to get more involved with the CBA. The newsletter is just one more example of the outreach the YLS has been making to its members.
We have also continued our efforts to keep our Web site updated and fresh. Our 2006 chair already has plans underway to continue and advance this project.
As always, we had strong performances from our local units, led by veteran YLS member Rich DiPreta. The local units continued their tradition of mixing networking events with service projects. The units participated in the Horn of Plenty Food Drive, collecting hundreds of nonperishable food items for families in need. Melissa Washer of the New London Local Unit organized a very successful DCF backpack drive. All of the units held exciting networking receptions. In addition, Rich DiPreta ensured that the unit leaders and other executive committee members were present at the state’s swearing-in ceremony, a great opportunity to reach out to new bar admittees and promote the benefits of CBA membership.
We also thought creatively and aimed for the stars in terms of the types of programs we offer our members and the public. As a result, the Appellate Practice Committee, led by Proloy Das and Laura Zaino, held several exciting and, in fact, groundbreaking events. In the fall, our very own Dan Krisch spoke on the controversial Kelo v. New Londondecision. In the spring, the committee held a special event at the Quinnipiak Club in New Haven honoring the new chief judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court, the Honorable Joseph Flynn. Judge Flynn spoke on the “dos and don’ts” of appellate practice and provided helpful hints for practicing before the appellate court. Finally, the Appellate Practice Committee planned quite possibly the most exciting event in YLS history. On April 11, 2006, Justice Antonin Scalia, Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, spoke to the YLS at the Hartford Club. Justice Scalia’s remarks focused on constitutional interpretation. By every measure, this was an extraordinary honor and exciting event for the YLS. Proloy Das, in particular, should be singled-out for his tireless efforts on this project.
Additionally, our Government and Military Committee, led by Drew Graham and Tom Saadi, have planned an exciting gubernatorial debate for the spring. This committee also hosted the annual YLS Legislative Breakfast on April 26, 2006, at the LegislativeOfficeBuilding in Hartford. This event has prospered for many years and gives young attorneys a chance to interact with members of the Connecticut General Assembly. It also provides the CBA with a terrific opportunity to lobby members of the assembly.
Law-related education had another strong year, led by YLS newcomer Joanne Rapuano. Specifically, the YLS was again able to sponsor the middle school and high school mock trial programs. The programs took place throughout the state and provided a wonderful opportunity for young people to get excited about the profession.
The Professional Networking Team, led by Jennifer Black and Mareesa Torres, held a number of strong events. The team sponsored several networking receptions throughout the state. These receptions are a successful way for young lawyers to network with each other and to recruit new section members. The team helped to coordinate donations for our troops overseas at the YLS Holiday Party, which was held this year at the Quinnipiak Club in New Haven. The team was also integral in helping to plan this year’s Young Lawyers Gala.
The Labor & Employment Committee, led by Lori Clark and Tanya Wolanic, continued its strong series of programs. In addition to both BPS and APS programs, the committee planned a spring program entitled, “An Evening with the Hartford Federal Judges.” The program was held at the Hartford Club on May 17, 2006, and was cosponsored by our Litigation, Federal Practice, and Professional Networking Committees.
The Federal Practice Committee, led by Sarah Merriam, Robert McNamee, and Michael Caldwell, also held a series of events designed to help young attorneys learn more about federal practice. The committee held an event in the fall on federal practice and procedure, and as noted above, cosponsored the spring program with the Hartford federal judges, providing young lawyers with the unique opportunity to meet the judges and discuss current issues in a social setting. Lastly, the group planned a visit to one of the state’s correctional facilities. As in year’s past, this committee did a terrific job with its core mission.
Our Estates, Probate & Tax Committee continued its successful tradition of holding meetings with teleconferencing available. The committee sponsored several BPS seminars. Additionally, the committee continued their commitment to providing opportunities for lawyers and judges to interact. To that end, the committee held a meeting with probate judges from Stamford, Bridgeport, Hartford, and West Hartford in March.
The Family Law/Child Advocacy Committee held a terrific event featuring a prominent family law judge. The event focused on addressing the rights of minor children. The committee also sponsored a spring event, “Serving as a Guardian Ad Litem/Attorney for the Minor Child.” The committee secured Judge Elliot N. Solomon, the presiding family judge in Hartford, as well as two prominent attorneys to speak at the event.
Our Intellectual Property Committee, led by vibrant newcomer Graceann Pisano, planned a survey of its members to explore the types of events that would interest this relatively new committee. The committee also planned an event on licensing and trademarks, “IP 101,” featuring an MLB representative and a spokesperson from Donna Karen.
The Commercial Law and Bankruptcy Committee held a successful BPS seminar on bankruptcy basics which had almost eighty lawyers in attendance! Not to be outdone, our Real Property Committee held a BPS seminar late in the fall entitled, “Real Estate Law 101: An Overview of Land Use, Titles and Closings”; the event attracted almost one hundred attendees.
The Construction Law Committee, chaired by Kirk Durrant and Ben Berger, cosponsored an exciting networking reception in Hartford. The committee also participated in a construction expo in Hartford and is planning to resurrect the YLS golf outing this spring.
The Litigation Committee, co-chaired by Cynthia DiPreta, Jeff Forte, and Melissa Sullivan, had another outstanding year with a series of CLE programs and other events program. In addition to their BPS and APS programs, the committee held events on case evaluations and pre-trials, with Judge Chase Rogers as the speaker, and an ethics event focused on candor to the court. The committee also planned an exciting event, cosponsored with our CLE/Professional Ethics Committee, led by Jonathan Weiner, entitled, “Professional Responsibility: What Every Lawyer Should Know.” The program featured Connecticut’s Chief Disciplinary Counsel Mark Dubois and Attorney Frank Coulom.
The Women in the Law Committee, led by Andy Hallier and Kate Fletcher, reinvigorated the Dress for Success program. The purpose of the program is to collect and donate gently used professional clothing to low-income women trying to get back into the workforce.
The Workers’ Compensation Committee, led by Kristin Stein and newcomer Tae Chung, held an extremely successful Compensation Review Board tour and question-and-answer session with Chairman John A. Mastropietro.
Our law student liaisons all continued to have strong years. University of Connecticut School of Law Liaison Clarisse Thomas was instrumental in planning the Race & the Law for the New Millennium symposium at UCONN, an all-day event cosponsored by several minority bar associations. Katie Curran, our Quinnipiac liaison, held an extremely successful program on successful interviewing techniques and practice tips with a stellar panel of practicing young lawyers. Moreover, the liaisons continued their recruiting efforts at their respective law schools to increase our membership numbers.
We also continued to work closely with our minority bar liaisons. With the help of Diversity Co-Chair Jessica Torres and Hispanic Bar Association Liaison Maggie Castinado, the YLS cosponsored the Habitat for Humanity project in December and will plan another Habitat project for the spring. We also cosponsored an extremely well-attended luau with the Asian Pacific Bar Association.
The YLS maintained its strong presence on the national level through its continued activity in the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division (YLD). Our District 2 Representative, Cynthia Andrews DiPreta, commenced the first year of her two-year term, representing Connecticut and Rhode Island at the national level. Rani Newman Mathura gained national recognition for her extremely hard work as the disaster legal services coordinator for the YLD. A large portion of Rani’s responsibility in this role consists of maintaining the YLD’s relationship with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). ABA President Michael Greco invited Rani to sit on a national FEMA/Disaster Services task force. Several other CBA YLS members held prominent appointments at the ABA, including Daniel Schwartz, who served as committee director and YLD liaison to the ABA Labor & Employment Section; Jessica Torres, who served on the Affiliate Assistance Team, as a member of the Credentials Board, as the Criminal & Juvenile Justice Committee vice-chair, and as the liaison to the Section of Criminal Justice; Jeff LaPierre, who served as the Criminal & Juvenile Justice Committee chair; Nicole Bernabo, who served as the liaison to the Section of Administrative Law; Vinny Cervoni, who served as the liaison to the Standing Committee on Professionalism; and Rich DiPreta, who served as the liaison to the Section of Real Property, Probate, & Trust. Current YLS Chair Elizabeth Acee served as the YLD administrative director, responsible for overseeing all committees, communications and publications, and district representatives. Lizz is also running uncontested for the position of ABA YLD secretary-treasurer. She will officially take her post at the Annual Meeting in August 2006. This will put Lizz in a position to chair the ABA/YLD in 2008–09. Lizz will be the first chair from Connecticut in more than sixty years.
In addition to all of the above, attendance and active participation at the ABA/YLD meetings and the ABA meetings continued to be very high. This year, members traveled to the fall conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in October 2005; to the mid-year meeting in Chicago in February 2006; and to the spring conference in Portland, Oregon, in May 2006. YLS members will also travel to the Annual Meeting in Hawaii in August 2006.
As one can see from the summary above, this year has been one of outstanding achievement. In April 2006, elections for the next bar year were held. As of the date of this report, Daniel Krisch is running uncontested for chair-elect. Lawrence Morizio is running uncontested for the office of treasurer. Jeffrey LaPierre and Proloy Das have announced their candidacy for the position of secretary. Cynthia Andrews DiPreta will continue to serve out her term as our ABA/YLD District 2 Representative. Jessica Ballou will assume the position of chair of the YLS at the end of this bar year.
The chair would like to take this opportunity to thank the YLS Executive Committee for their amazing work this year. I would also like to take a moment to extend a special thanks to my fellow officers—Jessica Ballou, Dan Krisch, and Lawrence Morizio. Their support and friendship throughout the year has meant more to me than they know. I would also like to thank the immediate past-chair, Daniel Schwartz, who used his year to courageously effectuate change and to jumpstart projects that will continue for many years to come. I thank him for his quiet counsel throughout this year. I would be remiss to omit my gratitude to Past-chair Gerry Giaimo, who gave me my first YLS appointment and has given me encouragement, friendship, and counsel beyond reasonable expectation. His advice throughout the years has been invaluable. I would also like to thank Tim Hazen, Janis Jerman, and the CBA officers, who have supported our efforts in every possible way. Lastly, on a point of personal privilege, I would like to thank my family and my coconspirator in life, who are always cheering me on from the sidelines.
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