We admit it. Some people don’t like the name of what has become an annual issue of the Law Tribune.
They ask, what does a “Dozen Who Made A Difference” mean? Does it mean these attorneys made a difference in the legal profession? In the court system? In their communities? In some remote village far across the ocean?
Our answer: Yes, it can mean all those things.
The ambiguity doesn’t bother us. We aren’t really handing out awards here. We’re simply trying to wrap up the past year in a little bit different way. By introducing you to some attorneys who have been involved with some of the big stories or big issues of 2012. And by introducing you to others who are seldom in the limelight, but whose under-the-radar efforts have been — we think — noteworthy.
Below is the list of our 2012 Dozen Who Made A Difference.
Vincent Kiernan Brought A School To A Remote African Village
By PATRICK R. LINSEY
Over the years, Vincent Kiernan has donated hundreds and hundreds of hours in pro-bono legal services — writing contracts, providing employment counsel, advising on business decisions. This year, Kiernan decided there was even more he and his family could do. And that's how he found himself in a village in Malawi, Africa, lugging bricks.
Brenda Bergeron Helps Cut Through Red Tape During Emergency Response
By THOMAS B. SCHEFFEY
When Connecticut confronts a crisis, Brenda Bergeron is on the front lines. She's the lawyer for the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, and she helps coordinate public and private emergency response efforts at the local, state and federal levels, applying her legal skills from the Emergency Operations Center in Hartford's fortress-like state Armory.
Ryan Suerth Goes The Extra Mile To Assist Military Personnel
By DOUGLAS S. MALAN
After serving five years in the U.S. Army, attorney Ryan Suerth knew exactly what he would do when he began practicing law in Connecticut. He'd find multiple opportunities to serve military personnel and veterans, just as he did when he was part of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate's General (JAG) Corps.
Michael Jefferson Has His Own Ideas About Addressing Urban Violence
By ROBIN DeMERELL
If New Haven attorney Michael Jefferson could make one wish, it wouldn't be anything for himself. In a city where shootings are commonplace and gang members are a menace, Jefferson has long tired of the standard solution of rooting out the troublemakers and putting them behind bars.
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