Honorable Joette Katz speaking during the section meeting
On Thursday, March 12, 2020, the Child Welfare and Juvenile Law Section held their meeting at the Graduate Club in New Haven.
Honorable Joette Katz, former Connecticut Supreme Court Justice and Former Department of Children and Families Commissioner, presented on the advancement, challenges, growth and potential future of DCF from her point of view as a former Commissioner.
Joette Katz is a partner in the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group. Her distinguished legal career and service to the State of Connecticut provide her with considerable knowledge and experience that make her a valuable resource to clients and attorneys throughout the firm. Joette focuses her practice on appellate work, mediation and investigations. She consults with firm attorneys handling federal, state and administrative appeals, where she advises them on the appellate process, positioning and strategy at both the trial and appellate stages of a matter. Joette also serves as a mediator to resolve a wide range of conflicts for clients that do not require litigation. In addition, using skills from her government experience, Joette advises clients across a variety of industries on handling government, internal and other investigations. She also demonstrates her long-standing commitment to supporting at-risk populations as a significant contributor to the firm’s award-winning pro bono efforts providing legal services on behalf of the underserved and underprivileged members of the community. During her 18+ years as an Associate Justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court, Joette heard approximately 2,500 cases and authored nearly 500 opinions. In addition, she served as an Administrative Judge for the State of Connecticut Appellate System and as a Judge for the Connecticut Superior Court. While serving as the Chief of Legal Services for the State of Connecticut Division of Public Defender Services, she co-authored Connecticut Criminal Caselaw Handbook: A Practitioner’s Guide (published by The Connecticut Law Tribune). Prior to joining the firm, Joette served as Commissioner of the Connecticut State Department of Children and Families for eight years, where she was responsible for children in the Department’s custody and under its guardianship as well as overseeing the Department’s services for children and families throughout the state in need of assistance. In addition, she was involved in all appellate matters related to the Department, including regularly advising on legal strategy. Throughout her career, Joette has been a frequent speaker, both nationally and in Connecticut, at many events sponsored by legal and professional associations as well as symposia hosted by colleges and universities. She has lectured on a wide range of topics, including appellate advocacy and professional responsibility, and has been a presenter at national convenings on child welfare. Joette has also taught at all three of the state’s law schools and is an Associate Fellow of Trumbull College at Yale University.
During this meeting, the section awarded a plaque of recognition to Howard J. Wicker for his 22 years of excellent service in the profession. Attorney Wicker graduated from Michigan State with BA in English in 1967. He received his MBA in Marketing in 1969. 
Howard taught business courses at two Baltimore community colleges from 1969 to 1975. In 1978, he received his JD from the University of Wisconsin. He obtained a MS Real Estate Appraisal and Investment Analysis in 1979. Attorney Wicker has practiced law since 1978 in a general practice. Since 1998, he has had a heavy concentration in child protection cases. His interest includes reading, motorcycle riding, and dealing with his six grandkids.