Symposia

Status of Connecticut Women in the Law Symposium 

Friday, October 17, 2025
Program: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Reception: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Quinnipiac University School of Law
370 Bassett Road
North Haven, CT 06473

Co-sponsored by
The James W. Cooper Fellows of the Connecticut Bar Foundation and Quinnipiac University School of Law

The Symposium on the Status of Women in the Law will present an overview of the history and progress of women in the legal profession since the first woman was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1882.  The speakers, panel members and our nationally recognized keynote speaker represent seasoned members of the profession from diverse practice areas.  The program will address the pivotal issues of the day including whether gender bias persists; where women have found success; why senior women often leave the profession; where gaps remain in the career trajectories of men and women; and how, given the enormous changes in the demographics of the profession, do we best move forward in these unpredictable times.                

Over the course of the day, we hope attendees enrich our discussion with their participation and stay after the program to network with each other and our presenters.  The reception will be held in the Quinnipiac University School of Law Student Lounge area on the 3rd floor, where the “Women in Black” exhibit of Connecticut judges and magistrates frames the space.

Program Details

Panel 1: Overview of History of Women in the Legal Profession in Connecticut

Join us for an hour-long panel discussing the history of women in the legal profession in Connecticut and where women attorneys stand today. Judge Elizabeth A. Bozzuto, Chief Court Administrator of the State of Connecticut, and Senior Judge Janet Bond Arterton, United States District Court (inactive), will speak on the status of women in the state and federal courts, respectively. Judge Bozzuto and Judge Arterton will be followed by Anne Hamilton, lawyer and journalist, who will present highlights from the Timeline of Connecticut Women in the Legal Profession created by Judge Susan Peck (Ret.) and Liz Drummond (former Assistant Director of the CBF), which is provided in the symposium materials. Attorney Hamilton will be followed by Professor Shane Gleason, Associate Professor of Law & Public Policy at Trinity College, who will discuss the results of a survey of Connecticut Bar Association members conducted in 2024, and compare the results with those of a similar survey conducted in 1993-1995. As the number of women entering law school and the legal profession continues to exceed the number of men, we will assess what this may mean for the future of the legal profession.

Speakers

Panel 2: Why do senior women leave the profession and best practices to retain them? What changes/innovations are necessary for women to work and thrive in the legal profession?

A panel of legal professionals from diverse practice backgrounds will describe their career paths and identify the factors that impeded or supported their professional success. The panel will explore the ways pioneering women and men have created innovative structures to make legal practice more sustainable and help lawyers thrive within their organizations.  Panelists will discuss the challenges they and other lawyers have faced in balancing  the demands of practice with  childcare, eldercare, and other family responsibilities.  They will explore the role of bias and sex discrimination in driving some women from the profession.  And they will lead an interactive discussion of the structural changes – such as part-time and work-from-home  arrangements, hybrid workplaces, nonequity partnerships, contract lawyering, and of counsel status – that might help to increase retention and improve career balance for lawyers.

Panelists

Moderator

Keynote Speaker
Then, Now and Next: Women Lawyers and the Future of the Profession

Panel 3: Leaders in the Law Forum featuring women from diverse areas of practice

Managing partners, corporation counsel, small firm entrepreneurs, government careers, legal education.  What are the most promising pathways for women to achieve leadership positions in the profession? Where are women finding the most success? How important is the role of women mentoring other women in the profession, professional networking with women, raising the profile of women in the law by developing platforms to recognize individual and group accomplishments? 

Panelists

Moderator

Reception Details

Following the symposium program, please join us for a reception featuring light refreshments and a cash bar. This is a great opportunity to connect with fellow attendees, speakers, and organizers in a relaxed and informal setting. We look forward to continuing the conversation and celebrating a successful event with you.
Separate RSVP is required to attend the reception. Please be sure to confirm your attendance when registering.