Text Box: Mission
In 1994, The Connecticut Bar Foundation established The James W. Cooper Fellows Program in order to:

Promote a better understanding of the legal profession and the judicial system among the citizens of Connecticut
Address matters concerning the legal profession and administration of justice in Connecticut, including the structure, organization, and challenges.

James W. Cooper
The Fellows Program is named in honor of James W. Cooper, who was a senior partner in the firm of Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn.    He served as President of the Connecticut Bar Foundation, the Connecticut Bar Association, the New Haven County Bar Association, and he was an Instructor and Lecturer at Yale Law School.  He 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 Connecticut Bar Foundation upon his death.

Selection Criteria
Selection as a Fellow requires demonstrated superior legal ability and devotion to the welfare of the community, state, and nation, as well as to the advancement of the legal profession.  Each elected Fellow contributes at least $1,500, payable in no more than ten annual payments of $150 to the Foundation.  Fellows are designated Life Fellows when the sum of their annual contributions reaches $1,500.  A Life Fellow attains Sustaining Life status in any year in which he/she makes a contribution of $150 or more. 

For a list of our 2009 James W. Cooper Fellows  click here.

Projects
The Fellows have launched significant programs in furtherance of their objectives.  Projects supported by the Fellows include:

Flash Forward or Lost: How Technology is Changing the Practice of Law, and What’s Next?   This free symposium to be held April 9, 2010 at the University of Connecticut School of Law will explore multiple facets of the changing practice of law: From social media and Facebook, to the rise of internet self help sites; from Google and iPhones to cloud computing. No matter if you're plugged in or think an 'app' is still something you order before dinner, this program is for you.  This symposium features nationally recognized speakers from across the country and promises to be one of the most talked about programs of the year. 

Legal and Ethical Issues at the End of Life:  Confronting Incapacity and the Emerging Epidemic of Progressive and Chronic Dementias.  The Bioethics and the Law Symposium was held October 2, 2009 at Quinnipiac University School of Law and examined many of the legal aspects of Alzheimer’s disease during the end of life stage and new developments in medical research, treatment, and technology. The Quinnipiac Probate Law Journal will publish articles prepared by the speakers.

An Essay Contest for all Connecticut high schools - the 2009-2010 essay contest topic has been announced.  To access information about the contest click here.  To access the winning essays from the 2008-2009 contest click here.   

Truancy Intervention Project - jointly sponsored with the Connecticut Bar Association, in cooperation with the New Britain Public Schools.  The Project’s goals are to reduce truancy in New Britain’s Middle Schools by involvement of volunteer attorneys appointed to represent truants in Family With Service Needs (FWSN) cases filed by the New Britain Public Schools.  Twelve attorney

James W. Cooper Fellows