How can YOU get involved?
SUPPORTING THE MISSION OF THE CONNECTICUT BAR FOUNDATION
An important part of the James W. Cooper Fellows mission is to sponsor programs that explore topics of timely importance to the legal community, enhance public understanding of the judicial system, and address matters concerning the administration of justice in Connecticut. Each Fellow has the unique opportunity to participate in the activities of the Fellows Program and may recommend new programs to the Foundation.
The CBF has many exciting programs scheduled for the 2022-2023 season with which you can help. Each program is detailed below and was developed in collaboration with the Fellows Education and Program Committee (FEPC). Click on a program title to learn more.
Please consider getting involved with one or more of these projects, and sharing your talents, networks, and expertise to create meaningful programming for the Fellows and the Connecticut legal community at large. For more information, please contact Stacey Mayer, CBF Programs Manager, at stacey@ctbarfdn.org.
Please use the form at the bottom of this page to volunteer for any of our Fellows programs.
Click HERE to jump to the Volunteer Form.
GETTING INVOLVED
We welcome you to help us plan any or all aspects of one or more programs, depending on your interests and available time. You can also present your own idea for a new program and allow us to help you develop and produce it. Fellows who have been involved in the development and production of CBF programs have found the experience worthwhile, educational, and fulfilling, and have created new friendships and networks that they keep long after the program concludes. Some programs have even lead to meaningful and significant changes to a law or policy, thereby providing a sustained benefit even after the program's conclusion.
The time required to participate in planning a program is as much or as little as a Fellow wants to give. On average, developing a program involves approximately 2 to 4 hours per month until the program is presented. If you join a program development team, you need not speak or present at the event unless you choose to. You should feel free to join a committee simply to share your ideas and thoughts about the topic, the speakers, or the format. Many Fellows indicate that they acquire a deeper understanding and knowledge about the topic through their participation in the development process.
Thank you in advance for your commitment to the Foundation, and for helping continue the tradition of high-quality CBF programming.
Fellows Education and Program Committee
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The Fellows Education and Program Committee (FEPC) supports activities and programs addressing matters concerning the legal profession, the administration of justice, and the role of law in society. In this capacity, FEPC functions as a steering committee, coordinator, and sounding board, overseeing all of the Fellows programming. The committee meets approximately four times a year to review current programs, and discuss ideas for new content. The committee is comprised of representatives from all CBF Fellows committees and programs, as well as any Fellows interested in helping guide the direction of Fellows projects. Please consider joining us for a meeting to learn more - FEPC's final meeting of the 2021-2022 season will take place over Zoom on May 2, 2022, at 5:30 p.m.
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Symposia and Speaker Series
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Roundtables are virtual or in-person events, usually a dinner, held throughout the year that offer topic-focused discussions with other Fellows; they cover a broad range of topics, driven by the Fellow who hosts the event. Attendance is limited to facilitate meaningful and open dialogue. In addition to attending any Roundtable, consider joining the Knights of the Roundtable - the group that oversees topic selection - or let us help you plan a Roundtable on a topic of interest to you.
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This nationally-recognized series was established by the Connecticut Bar Association and Connecticut Bar Foundation as an ongoing forum for the Connecticut legal community to explore issues of racial inequality and systemic racism. It is named in honor of civil rights trailblazer Judge Constance Baker Motley, with the goal of supporting and fostering renewed commitment to advancing civil rights and social justice. Events in this program run throughout the year.
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In 2012, the Connecticut Bar Foundation established this ongoing symposium series in memory, and to celebrate the legacy, of U.S. District Court Judge Mark R. Kravitz, an extraordinary lawyer and judge. After a successful 4th event in the series in October 2021, we are looking for committee chairs and members to begin planning for a 2023 symposium, focused on whether the judicial branch is being eroded by politics and public opinion.
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This new series, created by the Fellows in collaboration with the Office of the Probate Court Administrator and the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc., capitalizes on the timeliness of issues surrounding conservatorships. Events will address the concept of conservatorship, the evolution of relevant statutes over time, and the potential for further reform, all while incorporating the perspectives and lived experiences of various stakeholders, including those subject to conservatorships and their loved ones. The series kicked off in December 2021, with several additional programs planned for 2022.
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Presented jointly by the Connecticut Bar Foundation, the Connecticut Bar Association’s Committee on Human Trafficking, and Quinnipiac’s Human Trafficking Prevention Project, this ongoing series explores the interactions between trafficking victims and the legal system—starting with the criminal justice system—and delves into continuing debates at the state and federal level about what reforms are needed to assist victims in escaping trafficking, rebuilding their lives after they have escaped, and preventing trafficking in the first instance.
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Building on the work being done by the Connecticut Hate Crimes Advisory Council, this event will look at why certain groups are hated, the attacks they face, and the laws enacted to protect them. The program will consider common elements among the various groups affected by hate crimes, and explore what can prevent them. Tentatively planned for Fall 2022, the event offers a unique opportunity to join its design team.
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Restorative Justice
According to the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, “restorative justice repairs the harm caused by crime. When victims, offenders and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results can be transformational. It emphasizes accountability, making amends, and — if they are interested — facilitated meetings between victims, offenders, and other persons.” This event, tentatively planned for Spring 2023, will bring together thought leaders and stakeholders to explore how restorative justice can work in Connecticut.
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Celebrating Our History
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This committee works to highlight, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of attorneys of color in Connecticut, and to inspire future generations. A key component of their 2012 Symposium was the development of a comprehensive historical timeline, which the committee is now working to update. This significant historical archive offers information about the accomplishments of attorneys of color, and the historical context of their contributions. The committee meets throughout the year; after presenting a June 2022 event to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Symposium, the committee will turn to fundraising and capturing the stories of attorneys of color on video. They welcome new members to help with these dynamic and diverse projects.
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In 1999, this committee initiated the Oral History of Connecticut Women in the Legal Profession Project, to create a permanent video, audio, and photographic historical record of milestone achievements of women as they have become more visible and achieved prominence in the field of law. Through its first two phases, the project produced 58 oral history interviews with outstanding female attorneys and 118 portraits of women in the Connecticut judiciary (the "Women in Black" project). Now entering its third phase, the committee plans to grow the number of stories captured in the archive, develop new ways to share these stories, and continue to highlight the achievements of female lawyers and the barriers to their full participation that persist in the legal profession today. This committee runs year round; in addition to conducting new interviews to add to the oral history project, the committee is planning a late Spring/early Summer event to celebrate the "Women in Black" portrait collection.
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This committee aims to explore issues related to legal aid in Connecticut; it will examine both its history and current issues impacting legal services locally and nationally, and offer a vision for the future. Because of the need for legal aid organizations to focus attention on the current housing crisis, the committee plans to regroup after this abates. The CBF has also recorded interviews of Connecticut's legal aid pioneers as part of a larger project to capture the history and important milestones of the legal aid movement in Connecticut, which can be found at the link above.
Student Programs
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The mission of the Singer Fellowship program is to have a long term impact on access to justice in Connecticut by funding and supporting the placement of talented new lawyers with legal services organizations within the state. The application and selection process runs annually from Fall through late Winter. Committee members participate in reviewing applications, interviewing candidates, and ultimately selecting the recipients of the Fellowship.
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Fellows have the unique opportunity to serve as mentors to students identified by Hartford Promise, a local nonprofit founded to address the extremely low percentage of Hartford public high school students going to and graduating from college. This program has been on pause during the pandemic, but plans are in the works to get started again.
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Join this committee to help craft the essay topic fact pattern in early Fall; student essays are submitted until late Winter, at which time all Fellows, including committee members, may participate as contest judges. Winners are recognized at an awards ceremony held at the Connecticut Supreme Court in June. With a modest time commitment, committee involvement is especially attractive for those interested in current events with legal overtones of interest to teenagers and young adults.
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Other Opportunities to Get Involved
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This year's reception is scheduled for September 22, 2022. Fellows are needed to help plan details of the event, including selection of a keynote speaker.
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Following the Fellows Newsletter
New in 2022, "Following the Fellows" will be published quarterly to take a deep dive into topics of past programs, feature some of our talented Fellows and their work outside the Foundation, and highlight CBF's grantees. Fellows are welcome to come on board to help plan and edit the newsletter, solicit articles, or pen one themselves!
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The Gathering
Calling all in-house counsel! This new committee starting in late Spring 2022 will create a space for in-house attorneys, both CBF Fellows as well as non-Fellows, to “gather” together. Events will allow discussion of issues unique to this particular practice of law and provide a networking opportunity.
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Do you have an idea for a new program?
Share it with us by emailing ctbf@ctbarfdn.org or including it in the Volunteer Form!
Express your interest in our Fellows programs by completing the form below.