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| (L to R) YLS Secretary Meaghan C. Kirby; YLS Chair Sara Bonaiuto; CBA President J. Paul Vance, Jr.; YLS Chair-Elect Jermaine A. Brookshire, Jr.; YLS Treasurer Olivia Benson |
The Connecticut Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section (YLS) hosted its annual leadership retreat on August 6-8 at Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard. The YLS Executive Committee holds this event each summer to familiarize new members of the committee with the duties of their leadership roles and to present awards to members of the committee for their service during the previous bar year. In addition to trainings held throughout the day, the retreat included the presentation of awards to four YLS Executive Committee members for their service during the 2025-2026 bar year. 2025-2026 YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt presented the following awards:
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| Danielle A. Erickson received the Leadership Awardfrom 2025-2026 YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt. |
Danielle A. Erickson received the Leadership Award for her initiative in organizing the section’s 2025 etiquette dinner, which provided valuable guidance to attendees on appropriate decorum for formal dinner events. She also consistently volunteered for the section’s initiatives throughout the year, often stepping up when the YLS was in need. Attorney Erickson is an associate at Pullman & Comley LLC’s Hartford office.
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| Jeffrey M. Beck received the Pro Bono Award from 2025-2026 YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt. |
Jeffrey M. Beck received the Pro Bono Award for contributing a total of over 303 pro bono service and community volunteer hours toward the YLS Executive Committee’s yearly 1000 service hour pledge, which is over 25% of the cumulative 1192.88 total hours accrued for the 2025-2026 bar year. In addition to the pro bono hours he contributed, he consistently volunteered for YLS and CBA initiatives. Attorney Beck is the founder of J. Beck Legal PLLC located in West Hartford.
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| Hugh T. Sokolski, Jr. received the Star of the Year Award from 2025-2026 YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt. |
Hugh T. Sokolski, Jr. received the Star of the Year Award for the enormous amount of time and effort he put into the section’s 2026 Diversity Dinner. Through this event, he brought together 160 law students, practitioners, and scholars from the CBA’s Future of the Legal Profession Scholars Program at West Hartford’s Pond House Café for a night of productive conversation focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the Connecticut legal community. Attorney Sokolski is an associate at Jackson Lewis PC’s Hartford office.
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| Erin M. Daly received the Rookie of the Year Award from 2025-2026 YLS Chair Paige M. Vaillancourt. |
Erin M. Daly received the Rookie of the Year Award for her consistent participation in YLS events and service as a volunteer throughout her first year on the YLS Executive Committee as well as contributing the 128 pro bono service hours during the bar year. Attorney Daly is the founder of Daly Law & Strategy located in Trumbull.
"The Young Lawyers Section is built on the dedication, leadership, and generosity of its members, and this year’s award recipients truly exemplify those qualities," said 2025-2026 Young Lawyers Section Chair and CBA Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Paige M. Vaillancourt. "Their commitment to serving the profession, supporting their colleagues, and giving back to our communities has made a meaningful impact throughout the past bar year. I am grateful for their contributions and excited to see the continued leadership they will bring to the Connecticut Bar Association in the years ahead."