 |
| Attorney Karen Damboise was honored at the Child Welfare and Juvenile Law Section's September 11 section meeting. |
On September 11, 2025, the Child Welfare and Juvenile Law (CWJL) Section hosted Chief Administrative Judge Tammy Nguyen-O’Dowd for Juvenile Matters, who addressed her observations from the bench and provided practitioners with an update on recent changes in juvenile court procedures
In addition, the CWJL section recognized Attorney Karen Damboise for her 22 years of service in the Juvenile Court. Attorney Karen Damboise earned her undergraduate degree from Merrimack College and her law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1997. Attorney Damboise is admitted to practice in the State of Connecticut and District of Connecticut. Attorney Damboise began her career in personal injury and general practice firms and taught paralegal studies as an adjunct professor. In 2005, Attorney Damboise founded the Damboise Law Offices in Andover, CT with a focus on representing children, parents, grandparents, guardians and serving as Guardian Ad Litem, in all phases of child protection petitions in the juvenile court. She has also served as Assigned Counsel for children in delinquency actions in the juvenile court. Her other areas of law included juvenile appeals and representing foster parents in open adoption agreements and through the adoption process. She received a certification as Child Welfare Law Specialist in March of 2009. Attorney Damboise served as the Court Liaison to the Office of the Chief Child Protection Attorney. She became Regional Manager of the Greater Hartford Area for Children in Placement in 2021, is a trained mediator and was an independent mediator for the Bureau of Special Education for the Connecticut Department of Education from 2017 to 2021. After a brief time as an Assistant Chief Disciplinary Counsel for the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel in 2023, Attorney Damboise returned to child protection and was an Assistant Public Defender in the Parent Defense Child Protection Unit until July 2025, when she accepted a position as an Assistant Attorney General Child Protection Unit. She has litigated multiple trials. She has represented over 30 parents and children to the Appellant Court and Connecticut Supreme Court. She was involved in important land mark cases such as In re Yasiel R., In re Dynastie D., In re Jorden R., In re Jacob M., In re Mariana A., In re Stephen M. & In re Hyrum D. She is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the Child Welfare and Juvenile Law Section (Past Chair 2013-2017), National Association of Counsel for Children, and has mentored several new juvenile contract attorneys. Attorney Damboise lives in Bolton with her husband, Troy, and has 2 girls, Brooke and Rachel. She enjoys spending time walking her dog, Vader, and kayaking during the summer.