Celebrate with the Stars!
A Night of Honor and Inspiration
Thursday, April 3, 2014
6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Cascade
480 Sherman Ave, Hamden
Congratulations and Thank You!
Congratulations to all of this year's awards recipients and thank you to everyone who attended in support of our stars.
Check out the photos from the event!
And the Award Recipients Are...
Click on the links to find out more about this year's "stars".
Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award - Service
The Honorable Susan B. Handy
Superior Court Judge, State of Connecticut
The Honorable Susan B. Handy is a senior judge assigned to the New London Judicial District. She serves as a member of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee and co-chairs the Events Subcommittee of the Judicial-Media Committee. She is a former chair of the External Affairs Advisory Board, serves on the faculty for the education of newly appointed judges, and often is part of the Connecticut Judges Institute teaching faculty. She has served as the Chief Administrative Judge of Criminal Matters, the Administrative Judge of the New London Judicial District, the presiding judge of criminal matters in New London, and is a past member of both the Rules Committee and the Executive Committee.
An outstanding contributor to the bar and the bench throughout her career, Judge Handy maintains a commitment to the civics education of students on behalf of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Connecticut Judicial Branch. As the judge member of the CBA Civics Education Committee, she helped coordinate a video reenactment depiction of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Connecticut Compromise. The reenactment video was unveiled at the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference held on October 25 at Central Connecticut State University. Additionally, she has been actively involved with the CBA’s Law Day activities. In 2013, she organized and wrote the script for the Law Day program at the Connecticut Appellate Court and is currently working with the committee on organizing the 2014 Law Day program.
John Eldred Shields Distinguished Professional Service Award - Commitment
Harry N. Mazadoorian, National ADR Authority
Harry N. Mazadoorian is a commercial arbitrator and mediator and serves as Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Center on Dispute Resolution at Quinnipiac University School of Law, having previously served on the faculty at the law school. Prior to that, he was employed by CIGNA Companies for 25 years and held a number of positions, including chief insurance counsel, vice president of government affairs, and assistant general counsel managing commercial litigation. While at CIGNA, he served as the first in house counsel dedicated exclusively to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) matters. He has been in private practice and has served as legislative commissioner for the State of Connecticut and corporation counsel for the city of New Britain.
Involved in ADR for over three decades, he was first appointed to the American Arbitration Association’s panel of arbitrators in 1976. He has served on the council of the ABA’s Section of Dispute Resolution and was the charter chairperson of both the section’s Mediation and Corporate Counsel. As a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, he holds membership in the Health Law Section and Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, serving on both sections’ executive committees.
Charles J. Parker Legal Services Award - Dedication
Diane W. Whitney, Pullman & Comley LLC
Diane W. Whitney practices with Pullman & Comley LLC in Hartford where she chairs the firm’s Environmental Law Department. Attorney Whitney practices in the areas of environmental, toxic torts, and land use law and is involved in the defense of toxic tort claims throughout the country.
As an active member of the CBA, she holds membership in the Litigation Section; Environmental Law Section, also serving on its executive committee; Planning and Zoning Section; and has served on the House of Delegates for district 12. In addition to her CBA membership, she is a member of the Hartford County Bar Association, American Bar Association, and is a Coopers Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation. In her town of Windsor, she has served on the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Tapping Reeve Legal Educator Award - Education
Professor Quintin Johnstone, Yale Law School
Professor Quintin Johnstone is the Justus S. Hotchkiss Professor Emeritus of Law and professional lecturer at Yale Law School. His teaching subjects are land use, the legal profession, real estate transactions, real property, and professional ethics. Professor Johnstone’s legal education career began in 1947 when he started teaching at Willamette University Law School as an assistant professor and became an associate professor at University of Kansas in 1950. Professor Johnstone’s tenure at Yale Law School began in 1955 as a visiting professor. Between 1956 and 1959, he served as an associate professor, and in 1959 he was elevated to professor. In 1964, he became the Justus S. Hotchkiss Professor of Law and earned emeritus status in 1985. While at the university, he helped to pioneer the development of the land use finance seminars in the Yale curriculum.
Additionally, he acted as dean and professor of law from 1967 to 1969 at Haile Selassie I University (now Addis Ababa University School of Law), the first and oldest law school in Ethiopia. From 1985 to 2000, he was a professor at New York Law School and became professor emeritus in 2000. He has written many law review articles and other publications on the law and the legal profession.
As a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, he holds membership in the Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Standing Committee on Professional Ethics. He is also a fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.
Citizen of the Law Award - Inspiration
Christina M. Storm, Lawyers Without Borders
Christina Storm has been a practicing trial lawyer for the last 35 years and is currently a partner at Byrne & Storm PC in Hartford. Her longtime litigation experience covers a wide spectrum of practice areas, including civil and criminal, matrimonial, employment discrimination, and alternative dispute resolution.
As an active member of the CBA throughout the years, Attorney Storm has held membership in the Human Rights and Responsibilities Executive Committee, Pro Bono Committee, Family Law Section, and General Practice Section, and has chaired the International Law Section. She is currently a member of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Section.
In 2000, in a quest to channel more time into pro bono and to provide lawyers around the world the opportunity to do the same, she founded Lawyers Without Borders, an international nonprofit organization with chapters in New Haven, London, and Nairobi, Kenya. Lawyers Without Borders is dedicated to the promotion of the rule of law. The organization, which maintains a commitment to practical, concrete programming that has observable and measurable impact and results, has won the recognition from the United Nations and has placed volunteer lawyers in various countries around the world to help promote the rule of law. She currently serves as the organization’s Executive Director.
The Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award - Devotion
Sean P. Barrett, Billings & Barrett LLC
Sean P. Barrett is a partner at Billings & Barrett LLC in New Haven, serving as the firm’s principal trial attorney. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut as well as the United States District Court, District of Connecticut and is a member of the CBA Young Lawyers Section.
Attorney Barrett has been a tireless supporter of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center (CVLC) through both fund-raising efforts and pro bono representation. In the past year, he has represented CVLC clients who did not qualify for public defenders due to their receipt of VA service-connected disability compensation. In addition to accepting pro bono referrals from the CVLC, Attorney Barrett’s firm also accepted up to ten pro bono referrals from veteran liaisons stationed at the criminal courts. His firm also provides reduced hourly rates or low flat fees to veterans with the ability to pay. Additionally, Attorney Barrett makes himself available to provide advice by telephone to CVLC clients who have questions regarding criminal matters. His pro bono representation is not limited to criminal court as he is currently representing a CVLC veteran client in family court.
Taking his commitment to public service beyond legal representation, Attorney Barrett and his partner, Peter Billings, turned their firm's anniversary party into a fundraising event for CVLC. They are also exploring new ways to help less fortunate individuals through social media by sponsoring an event through their firm's Facebook page to donate food to the Connecticut Food Bank.
Joseph H. Bartozzi, O.F. Mossberg & Sons Inc.
Since 2007, Attorney Bartozzi has been a loyal volunteer of Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut’s New Haven Security Deposit Clinic. He has volunteered at 36 of the organization’s clinics, specializing in consumer law and security deposit matters and providing low income clients both his expertise and his kindness.
He is currently the senior vice president and general counsel for O.F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc. located in North Haven. Mossberg is the oldest family-owned and operated firearms manufacturer in America. Bartozzi has been with Mossberg for nearly 28 years, holding a variety of positions, including quality manager; product service manager, and director of manufacturing operations.
James O. Craven, Wiggin and Dana LLP
James O. Craven is Counsel in Wiggin and Dana LLP’s Litigation Department. His practice concentrates on toxic torts, complex personal injury claims, medical malpractice, and pharmaceutical and medical device defense. Prior to joining the firm, Attorney Craven served in the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, Fourth Infantry Division (Mechanized) as a legal assistance attorney, trial counsel, and senior trial counsel. During that time, he represented soldiers, retirees, and family members in numerous criminal, civil, and administrative matters and also served as the division tax attorney. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal and the Army Achievement Medal during his military service and is a recipient of Wiggin and Dana's Pro Bono Achievement Award. Attorney Craven is a member of the CBA House of Delegates, serving district 9, as well as a member of the Litigation Section and Connecticut Council of Bar Presidents.
Attorney Craven has been an integral part of his firm’s pro bono program for over 15 years, and in the past four years, he has averaged more than 175 hours annually on pro bono matters. He frequently represents clients referred by New Haven Legal Assistance to his firm and has successfully represented pro bono clients in evictions, Section 8 housing appeals, divorces, custody matters, temporary restraining orders, and partition actions.
As a former member of the Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps, he is also a longtime volunteer for Operation Standby, which provides pro bono family law assistance to military members serving overseas. He has also worked on numerous matters for Statewide Legal Services and Lawyers for Children America. In addition to his own extensive pro bono involvement, Attorney Craven also frequently supervises junior attorneys on their own pro bono matters, and offers his time to anyone in the firm with a difficult issue in a pro bono matter.
Thomas J. Dufour, The Law Office of Thomas J. Dufour LLC
Thomas J. Dufour is the owner of the Law Offices of Thomas J. Dufour LLC in New Haven. He practices in the areas of real estate, both commercial and residential, commercial finance, business law, environmental law, and healthcare. In the area of real estate, he handles many different types of transactions, and has extensive experience in assisting clients with issues relating to environmentally contaminated properties. He also advises business owners in a wide variety of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, and other professional businesses.
Attorney Dufour has been a major participant in Statewide Legal Services of Connecticut’s New Haven Security Deposit Clinic since its inception six years ago. He is a consistent participant of the monthly clinic where he helps pro se litigants complete small claims paperwork so they can sue their former landlords for return of their security deposits. He advises the clients about how to make their case in court and how to counter possible LL counterclaims.
His service to others extends beyond the law with his involvement as a current board member of The Greater New Haven Community Loan Fund and as a prior board member of Connecticut Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity. He is also a member of the CBA Real Property Section and Environmental Law Section.
Peter D. Goselin, The Law Office of Peter Goselin
Peter D. Goselin is a solo practitioner at The Law Office of Peter Goselin in Hartford, where his practice includes all aspects of employee representation in administrative and judicial proceedings, with a primary focus in wage and hour litigation, including claims for nonpayment of wages, minimum wage violations, unpaid overtime, and failure to pay commissions and bonuses. He also represents employees before federal and state administrative agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, the Freedom of Information Commission, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Public Health. Goselin is a member of the CBA Labor and Employment Law Section.
Attorney Goselin has taken innumerable pro bono cases for low wage workers over the past ten years. He has also supported both Connecticut Legal Services and New Haven Legal Assistance with the establishment of day laborer wage clinics, helping train and support legal aid staff, attending many clinic sessions every year, and taking pro bono cases. He continues to provide ongoing training to legal aid staff on updates in wage collection law. Attorney Goselin has also contributed content to the legal aid network’s website, CTLawHelp.org, to educate workers about their rights.
#cbastars 
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The Honorable Susan B. Handy
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