James W. Cooper Fellows

(l-r) James T. (Tim) Shearin, Hon. Janet C. Hall, William H. Clendenen, Jr.

The James W. Cooper Fellows nominate outstanding Connecticut lawyers, judges, and teachers of law to become James W. Cooper Fellows. The Connecticut Bar Foundation then extends invitations to nominees who have been selected by the Fellows Nominating Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Nominees who accept their invitation to become a Fellow commit to a pledge of at least $2,500 to the program. The Foundation recognizes Fellows at an annual reception in their honor and publicizes their selection.

(Photo credit: Tricia Rose, Tricia Rose Photography)

(l-r) Andrea Barton Reeves and Hon. James Sicilian

The Fellows Program is named in honor of James W. Cooper, who was a prominent New Haven attorney and a senior partner of Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn. He served as President of the Connecticut Bar Foundation from 1973 to 1975, the Connecticut Bar Association from 1957 to 1958, and the New Haven County Bar Association from 1948 to 1949, and he was a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. In 1982, Attorney Cooper was the recipient of the Charles J. Parker Award for distinguished contributions to legal services for the poor. Attorney Cooper left a generous bequest to the Foundation.

(l-r) Justine C. Rakich-Kelly and Moy N. Ogilvie

Currently, the Fellows are working on several exciting programs and projects. These include:

Fellows Resources