Exploring Government & Public Sector Legal Careers

Speakers

• Johnny Ross III –  Staff Attorney III at the State Elections Enforcement Commission, where he enforces election laws concerning campaign administration and public finance. He previously served as a Division of Criminal Justice Fellow, Special Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney, and Deputy Assistant State’s Attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice. He chairs the Connecticut Bar Association’s Government and Public Sector Committees and serves as a Young Lawyer Representative Fellow for the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. He earned his Juris Doctor and MBA, cum laude, through the joint program at the University of Massachusetts School of Law and Charlton College of Business. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, magna cum laude, from FMU.
  
  
• Anwar (Annie) Abu-Shayed – Campus Director of Information Technology at CT State Community College–Three Rivers, overseeing technology operations, cybersecurity governance, and a team of nine professionals. Previously, she held enterprise risk management, cybersecurity, and IT leadership positions at Sterling National Bank and Cross River Bank. She serves on seven Connecticut Bar Association committees, including Government and Public Sector, Generative AI, Privacy and Cybersecurity, and Presidential Fellows. A published researcher, she has contributed to judicial rulemaking matters involving artificial intelligence, machine-generated evidence, civil discovery, and authentication. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity, magna cum laude, and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from Mercy University, which recognized her with its 2025 Alumni of Distinction Award and induction into its Alumni Hall of Fame.
  
  
• Tamara Titre – Deputy Claims Commissioner for the State of Connecticut Office of the Claims Commissioner, where she oversees claims filed against the state. She is the first person appointed to this role. Previously, she served as Assistant General Counsel for the State Board of Labor Relations, advising the board, drafting decisions, and defending them before the courts. She began her legal career as a clerk to Superior Court judges in Bridgeport. She is President-Elect of the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association and serves on its Board of Directors. She is also a Commissioner on the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities and faculty member of the Judicial Branch Civics Academy. She previously served as a Connecticut Bar Association Presidential Fellow and serves on the board of Neighborhood Studios of Fairfield County. She earned her B.A. from Fairfield University and J.D. from Michigan State University College of Law.
  
  
• Kyle J. LaBuff – Assistant State’s Attorney with the Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice, where he has served for seven years. His previous experience includes real estate law and public defense. He currently serves as Treasurer of both the Connecticut Bar Association and the Greater Bridgeport Bar Association. In 2020, he founded the Lawyers in Libraries program, expanding access to legal resources and community outreach. He received the Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award in 2018 in recognition of his commitment to pro bono service.
  
  
• Craig Coulombe – Attorney Adviser at the Social Security Administration’s Disability Adjudication office in New Haven, Connecticut. Previously, he served as a Legal Research Law Clerk at the Connecticut Superior Court in Middletown. He also serves as Local Vice President of AFGE Local 1164, representing employees across seven Disability Adjudication hearing offices in the New England region. Additionally, he is the legislative liaison for the Connecticut Bar Association’s Government and Public Sector Committee. Craig earned a B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts Boston and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. Raised in Massachusetts, he also served four years in the United States Air Force.

Program Schedule

• 5:00 PM – Event Begins & Networking
• 5:30 PM – Panel Discussion and Moderated Questions
• 6:15 PM – Student Q&A

Location UConn School of Law, Blumberg Hall
55 Elizabeth Street
Hartford, CT 06105

Parking Free parking is available on campus after 5:00 PM. For those arriving before 5:00 PM, parking payment information is posted on signs throughout the school parking lots.

Please note: For GPS and navigation purposes, attendees should use 55 Elizabeth Street, Hartford, CT, as 110 Sherman Street is a separate location from the main campus and is on the opposite side of campus.