2025 James W. Cooper Fellows Nomination Form
Please use the form below to nominate an individual to become a 2025 James W. Cooper Fellow. Please review the eligibility requirements and process carefully before completing the nomination form. If you have any questions throughout the process, please contact ctbf@ctbarfdn.org and we will direct your question(s) to the Fellows Nominating Committee for a response.
Who is eligible to become a Fellow?
A place in the Fellows is an honor and privilege and the selection process is necessarily a competitive one. Please consider the standards below when making nominations.
- Article III, Section 2 of The Bylaws of The Fellows of the Connecticut Bar Foundation (CBF) states: Fellows shall be selected based on their outstanding professional, public and private careers in which they have demonstrated extraordinary legal ability and devotion to the welfare of their Community, State and Nation, as well as to the advancement of the legal profession.
- A Fellow must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of Connecticut; a teacher of law regularly employed as such in the State of Connecticut who has been admitted to the Bar of any other state; a federal judge residing in Connecticut who has been admitted to the bar of any other state; or a person registered as an Authorized House Counsel as defined in Section 2-15A of the Connecticut Superior Court Rules.
- Nominees should have a minimum of ten years in practice to become a Fellow unless there are special circumstances, which must be explained in detail.
For your convenience, a description of the Fellows program, a list of Fellows Projects/Symposia, and a roster of Fellows are available here.
How are Fellows chosen?
Nominations will be accepted on a rolling basis, and will be considered by the Fellows Nominating Committee in the Fall of 2024. Nominees selected for advancement by the Committee will be distributed to all Fellows for review and comment and then ultimately go to the CBF Board of Directors for approval in early December.
What should a Fellows Nominee know?
When speaking with a potential nominee, please be clear that the process is competitive and nominees are not automatically approved. To become a Fellow, approved nominees are asked to make a pledge of $2,500, payable over 10 years in minimum annual installments of $250. The Foundation recognizes Fellows at an annual reception in their honor and publicizes their selection.
CBF DIVERSITY POLICY
The CBF is committed to diversity and inclusion in its Board of Directors, officers, committees, James W. Cooper Fellows, and staff, and in the focus, subject matter, and participation of its programs, including symposia, colloquia, and roundtables. Diversity is an inclusive concept encompassing race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, and intellectual, mental or physical disability. As Fellows and Board members, we have a responsibility to consider diversity and inclusion when making Fellows nominations.
