Justice Richard N. Palmer (Ret.) will receive the Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award at the CBA’s annual awards celebration, Celebrate with the Stars, on Thursday, April 8 for his substantial contributions to the administration of justice in Connecticut.
Associate Justice Richard N. Palmer was appointed to the Connecticut Supreme Court in 1993 and, at the time of his retirement in 2020, was the third longest-serving justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court. Before his appointment, he served as assistant United States attorney for Connecticut twice as well as chief of the Criminal Division and deputy United States attorney.
Justice Palmer has been known for his willingness to address controversial and consequential cases throughout his tenure with the Connecticut Supreme Court. He has written 600 decisions while on the bench, including abolishing the death penalty in Connecticut, enabling Sandy Hook families to sue the manufacturer of assault rifles, and Kerrigan v. Commissioner of Public Health, which granted marriage rights to same-sex couples in Connecticut.
Currently, Justice Palmer serves as vice-chair of the Board of Directors of the Justice Education Center, Inc., a member of the Board of Directors of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, and Life Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.
View the complete list of awardees. Registration is now open.