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: Legal Needs Study - The University of Connecticut’s Center for Survey Research and Analysis was commissioned to conduct a statistically sound telephone survey of the civil law needs of low-income households in Connecticut. For the Executive Summary from the Center for Survey Research and Analysis of the Legal Needs Study click here; for the Press Release of December 10, 2008 click here; to access a copy of the study click here (you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader). The History of Connecticut Women in the Legal Profession to record, for the first time, the achievements of women leaders in the profession. To access information on the photographic portrait exhibit of women in the Connecticut judiciary click here. An Essay Contest for all Connecticut high schools - the 2008-2009 essay contest winners have been announced. 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 volunteers have been trained and will represent children in their FWSN cases, and will act as a Mentor/Role Models for these children and as problem solvers for their families in helping to address the underlying causes of truancy.

James W. Cooper Fellows

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