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| (From L to R) YLS Treasurer Jermaine A. Brookshire, Jr.; Alison J. Toumekian; YLS Chair-elect Sara Bonaiuto; YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt; Hon. Elizabeth Stewart; Sara O'Brien; and CBA President Emily A. Gianquinto |
On the evening of October 14, over 80 members of the Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section (YLS) gathered at the Hartford Golf Club for the section’s 2025 Pro Bono Fair and Golf Event. Despite the cancellation of this year’s pre-fair round of golf due to inclement weather, section members were still able to attend a reception featuring 16 booths representing various pro bono organizations.
During the reception, each of the pro bono organizations provided brief introductions to their services and were on hand to provide information about volunteer opportunities to the YLS members at the event:
- CBA Pro Bono Programs (Free Legal Advice Clinics, CT Free Legal Answers, Lawyers in Libraries, CBA Pro Bono Connect)
- Center for Family Justice, Inc.
- Center for Indigenous Peoples Rights
- Connecticut Council for Non-Adversarial Divorce
- Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants
- Connecticut Legal Services
- Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
- Hartford Public Library, The American Place
- Legal Food Hub, a project of Conservation Law
- New Havel Legal Assistance Association
- Pro Bono Partnership
- State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Civil and Family Volunteer Attorney Programs
- Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut, Inc.
- The Children’s Law Center of Connecticut
- The Connecticut Probate Courts, Office of the Probate Court Administrator
- Victim Rights Center of CT, a program of the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence
The reception began with a welcome from past YLS Chair and past CBA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Sarah O’Brien, who introduced the event’s keynote speaker, Connecticut Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Stewart. In her remarks, Judge Stewart spoke about her role in the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Access to Justice Commission as the chair of the pro bono subcommittee. She noted that the subcommittee focuses on two main issues, stating, “One is to meet the demand in Connecticut for pro bono legal services, and the other is to increase the supply of those services being provided by our attorneys.” She thanked those present for dedicating their time to pro bono work and encouraged them to make connections with the organizations at the event.
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| Past YLS Chair and past CBA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Sarah O’Brien provided welcome remarks to the attendees. |
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| Judge Elizabeth Stewart provided the pro bono fair's keynote speech. |
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| Representatives from each of the organizations with booths at the event provided brief explanations of the services and opportunities they provide. |