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(From Left to Right) Pro Bono Committee Co-Chair Dan Brody; Membership Committee Co-Chair Kyle LaBuff; YLS Chair Sara J. O'Brien; Connecticut Appellate Court Chief Judge William H. Bright, Jr.; and YLS Pro Bono Coordinator Logan A. Carducci.
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On October 19, the Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (YLS) hosted its annual Pro Bono Fair and Golf Event at the Hartford Golf Club. Over 50 people attended the event, which consisted of a nine-hole round of golf followed by a reception.
Eleven pro bono organizations hosted booths at the event, presented brief introductions to their services, and were on hand to provide information about volunteer opportunities to attendees:
- CBA Pro Bono Programs (Free Legal Advice Clinics, CT Free Legal Answers, Lawyers in Libraries, CBA Pro Bono Connect)
- Connecticut Coalition Against Domestic Violence
- Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants
- Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
- CTLawHelp.org
- Disability Rights Connecticut
- Pro Bono Partnership
- State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Volunteer Attorney Program)
- Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
- The Connecticut Probate Courts, Office of the Probate Court Administrator and Connecticut Probate Assembly
- Victim Rights Center of CT, a program of the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence
After welcoming attendees to the reception, CBA YLS Chair Sara O’Brien encouraged the young lawyers to engage with the different pro bono organizations and to “learn something new and take on a new case.” Connecticut Appellate Court Chief Judge William H. Bright, Jr., the keynote speaker, underscored the importance of attorneys providing pro bono services. “Any judge will tell you there is no substitute for having a lawyer,” stated Judge Bright. “No matter what we do to help self-represented parties, you are much more well equipped to represent them than they are to represent themselves.”
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Connecticut Appellate Court Chief Judge William H. Bright, Jr. presents the event's keynote.
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CBA Pro Bono Committee Co-Chair Dan Brody shared details regarding the CBA’s various Pro Bono programs and noted that pro bono work can provide valuable experience to young attorneys. “When you take on these pro bono cases and you’re the real driver behind them, what you’ll also learn is a lot about yourself and how you are as a lawyer and your style,” stated Attorney Brody.
Thank you to all those who attended this year’s event as well as all the attorneys who provide vital pro bono services to individuals in need throughout Connecticut.
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(From Left to Right) Vianca T. Malick; YLS Chair Sara J. O'Brien; John M. Russo, Jr.; Alison J. Toumekian.
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(From Left to Right) Past YLS Chair Cindy M. Cieslak, Virginia M. Gillette, Past YLS Chair Christopher A. Klepps, Trent LaLima.
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Attendees had the opportunity to meet with representatives from eleven different pro bono organizations during the event's reception.
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