Dedicated and Honorary Funds
The Connecticut Bar Foundation James W. Cooper Fellows have created the following funds to honor colleagues who have made significant contributions to the practice of law in our state and to direct resources to meet specific unmet needs of our state's most vulnerable citizens.
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The Connecticut Innocence Fund was created to assist exonerees who have been recently released from prison based on proof of actual innocence of the crimes for which they were imprisoned. This is a tax-deductible fund to provide monetary advances to assist newly-released exonerees with immediate financial needs prior to awards of compensation from the State of Connecticut. The advances are loans that are repaid out of the exonerees’ compensation awards to replenish the fund.
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The partners of Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP established the Anthony M. Fitzgerald Fund for Excellence to honor Tony Fitzgerald on the occasion of his retirement from the practice of law. The CBF draws on the fund annually to present the Fitzgerald Award for Excellence, which recognizes the dedicated service and outstanding achievements of a Connecticut nonprofit civil legal service provider or legal aid attorney(s).
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The David A. Pels Homelessness Prevention Fund was established in June 2019 to benefit low-income tenants facing the threat of homelessness in Connecticut. The Fund was founded by attorneys at Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc. to honor the exemplary career and contributions of Attorney David A. Pels, one of the pioneers of landlord-tenant law in Connecticut.
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The law school scholarship program established in his name honors Judge Warren Eginton's legacy of mentoring others in the legal profession.
Make a Fellows Contribution
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Upon acceptance of the invitation to become a James W. Cooper Fellow, individuals pledge a generous commitment to support the Fellows Program. Make a contribution towards your pledge today.
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These generous individuals have made the Connecticut Bar Foundation a central part of their annual giving beyond their initial ten-year giving pledge. The contributions of Sustaining Life Fellows help the Foundation continually find ways to advance the role of law in society and to build public awareness around the need to increase equitable access to justice.
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The Roraback Circle is composed of prominent Connecticut attorneys committed to the preservation and expansion of the Rule of Law. The Circle is named in honor and memory of the late Catherine “Katie” Roraback because Katie’s entire career exemplified what it truly means for an attorney to uphold the Rule of Law and the administration of justice.
