CBA News

Daniel J. Horgan has assumed the office of president of the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA). Hon. Cecil J. Thomas resigned from the position as a formal requirement of the association’s bylaws due to the finalization of his confirmation as a Connecticut Superior Court judge.

During the first week of May, to celebrate Lawyer Well-Being Week, the CBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee hosted a series of free events for CBA members that took place on each weekday between noon and 1:00 p.m.

Over 260 legal professionals, community members, families, and friends attended the ninth annual “Celebrate with the Stars” event on April 20 at the Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville to honor 12 individuals and 16 attorneys observing 50 years of practice. This year's amazing stars included The Honorable Bernadette Conway, Bruce E. Bergman, Sara Bronin, Logan A. Carducci, Sarah E. Dlugoszewski, Mary Christy-Fisher, Shawn M. Lang (posthumously, Ernest J. Mattei, J.L. Pottenger Jr., Charles D. Ray, Dale C. Roberson, and Daniel A. Schwartz.

As part of the 25th Annual ABA Days during the week of April 4-8, 2022, a delegation from the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) and American Bar Association (ABA) met with Connecticut’s federal legislators to advocate for issues important to members and encourage efforts to narrow the access to justice gap in Connecticut.

On Friday, April 1, the Connecticut Bar Association and UConn School of Law jointly held a Free Legal Answers Comes to Campus event. At the event a team of eight volunteer attorneys from the CBA mentored a group of 20 UConn law students through the process of providing free legal advice to individuals with low or no income.

If you are interested in remaining in your committee, joining another or taking a leadership position within a committee, please fill out a Committee Selection Request Form by Friday, May 6, 2022.

CBA Members Alyce Alfano, Eric Daniels, Robert G. Golger, Wendy Grispin, Jassette Ann-Marie Henry, Tara L. Knight, Cherie Phoenix-Sharpe, Christine P. Rapillo, Charles P. Reed, Kevin M. Shay, Neeta Vatti, and Matthew A. Weiner were among those nominated.

The Connecticut Bar Association has established The Ralph J. Monaco Memorial Civics Education Award and Fund to honor past CBA President Ralph J. Monaco’s legacy and memory. The Ralph J. Monaco Memorial Civics Education Award will be bestowed each year on one or more current Connecticut high school student(s), in their junior or senior year of study, who have demonstrated a significant commitment to advancing civic engagement.

On January 25 and 26, the CBA Pro Bono Committee, in coordination with Statewide Legal Services of CT, hosted a two-day Free Legal Advice Clinic virtually. Clinics are now planned to take place on a quarterly basis, in order to increase the public's access to justice.

We are seeking leaders to represent their colleagues in the House of Delegates for a three (3) year term. The districts that have at least one (1) expiring seat beginning July 1st are 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16 and 17

The CBA will be hosting a new hotline for individuals affected by Hurricane Ida who require legal assistance. We are currently seeking volunteer attorneys to provide disaster-related legal assistance to those affected by the hurricane. Training will be provided.

During October and November, CBA members Hon. Sarah A. L. Merriam and Hon. Omar A. Williams as well as Hon. Sarala Vidya Nagala, a non-member ex-officio of the CBA's Committee on Human Trafficking, were confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in as United States District Judges for the District of Connecticut.

This fall, the CBA continued hosting its seasonal shred truck events, where members can bring their files to be confidentially shredded for free. Young Lawyers Section members and several past and present board officers assisted with the events. Participants were encouraged to bring food items and household supplies for donation to Connecticut Foodshare.

On November 18, the Connecticut Bar Association hosted this year’s Presidential Fellows Dinner, which featured the theme of “Together for a Stronger Profession,” as a hybrid (virtual/in-person) event at Grassy Hills Country Club in Orange.

We are currently looking to fill the positions of vice president, secretary, treasurer, and assistant secretary-treasurer for the 2022-2023 bar year.

On October 26-28, the CBA Pro Bono Committee, in coordination with Statewide Legal Services of CT, hosted a series of Pro Bono Clinics virtually. The clinics took place as part of the National Celebration of Pro Bono, an initiative that shines a spotlight on the amazing pro bono work by lawyers, paralegals, and law students across the country, which occurred from October 24-30.

The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) Policing Task Force has released its public report and 23 recommendations, which were unanimously approved by the CBA. The report was released ahead of the latest Constance Baker Motley Speaker Series on Racial Inequality Event, “The CBA Task Force’s Recommendations on Policing in Connecticut,” taking place on November 4, 2021, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

On Wednesday, October 20, more than 170 people attended the CBA’s sixth annual Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Summit: The Collaborative Blueprint. The interactive and engaging virtual summit explored strategies for increasing retention in legal organizations and creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive legal community within Connecticut.

The Connecticut Bar Association is pleased to announce the addition of Attorney Jennifer Shukla as its Director of Access to Justice Initiatives. She is responsible for developing and coordinating the CBA’s initiatives on improving access to the legal system for indigent and underserved individuals, as well as participating in related legislative and public policy advocacy.

For the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CBA members continued to provide pro bono legal services to veterans at the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs’ annual Stand Down event, which the CBA has assisted with since 1998.