2024 Fellows Opportunity Catalog

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 remaining meeting of the 2023-2024 season will take place over Zoom on April 23 at 5:30 p.m.

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 subjects, driven by the Fellow who "hosts" the event. Attendance is limited in order 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.

Chief Justice Speziale was a pioneer in bringing alternative dispute resolution to Connecticut. Under his tutelage, our state became a national model on how to expedite cases. This biannual series dives into timely topics in ADR. Planning is underway for the November 2024 event, which will explore the concept of restorative justice for juveniles.

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.

This 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, and there are plans for several additional events in the future.

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.

This committee works to highlight, preserve, and celebrate the rich history of attorneys of color in Connecticut, and to inspire future generations. The committee meets throughout the year; current projects include capturing the stories of attorneys of color on video, publicizing their work on social media, and sharing the updated historical timeline created for their 2022 symposium. They welcome new members to help with these dynamic and diverse projects.

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 in its third phase, the committee is working 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.

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. 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. Plans for a future symposium are now in the beginning stages of development.

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.

Join this committee to help craft the essay topic fact pattern in late summer/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.

"Following the Fellows" premiered in 2022, with plans to be published periodically. This digital newsletter takes a deep dive into topics of past programs, features some of our talented Fellows and their work outside the Foundation, and highlights CBF's grantees. Fellows are welcome to come on board to help plan and edit the newsletter, solicit articles, or pen one themselves!

Calling all in-house counsel! This new committee aims to 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. Please come help us shape the future of this program!