District of Connecticut Law Clerks Society
a society for current and recent law clerks for the united states district court for the district of connecticut
About the DCLC
Do you have an announcement?
One of the purposes of the DCLC is to keep our members informed and to network with each other. If you have an announcement, including job openings, please contact us at the email addresses below and we will put up a posting for you.
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Recent Posts
- Judge Underhill Asked to Determine if Cheerleading is a Sport
- Garber Seeking Attorney General Position
- Behind the Rise and Fall of Philadelphia’s Prison Population
- 4th Annual Investigating Computer Crimes in the 21st Century
- Judge Chatigny Nominated To Seat On U.S. 2nd Circuit Court Of Appeals
- Court Asked to Reverse Ruling on State’s Campaign Program
- Campaign Finance Legislation Under Scrutiny
- Practices of Connecticut State’s Attorney’s Office Under Review
- Lawsuit Granted Class Action Status
- Extensive Reshaping Possible In Federal Judiciary In Connecticut
Categories
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March 29, 2007
Judge Bryant Confirmed for District of Connecticut Vacancy
It has been reported on the United States Senate website that Judge Vanessa L. Bryant's nomination to serve as a United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut has been confirmed. For additional details, click here.
March 23, 2007
Judge Fitzsimmons Denies Bail in Terror Case
A case that began in Connecticut and followed a suspected terrorist network across the country and into Europe and the Middle East has ended up back before the Honorable Holly B. Fitzsimmons in the Bridgeport federal district court. Judge Fitzsimmons ordered Hassan Abujihaad, a former Navy sailor, held without bail Friday on charges that he supported terrorism by disclosing secret information about the location of Navy ships and the best ways to attack them.
Interestingly, the case derives from Connecticut because it is home to the Internet service provider where the investigation started. A grand jury in Bridgeport indicted Abujihaad on charges of providing material support to terrorists with intent to kill U.S. citizens and disclosing classified information relating to the national defense.
Abujihaad could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
For more details, read the Associated Press article on boston.com by clicking here.
March 12, 2007
Are Jurors' Identities A Secret???
One of our members forwarded us the story from yesterday''s Connecticut Post, written by Michael P. Mayko, questioning whether "[j]uries have become shielded information" in the District of Connecticut.
The story notes that clerks in Connecticut's federal courts have been refusing to release to the public the names and addresses of the members of sitting juries. The story includes quotes from the Honorable Alvin W. Thompson, the Honorable Alan H. Nevas, and the Honorable Stephan R. Underhill, all of whom spoke about various levels of access to such information within their own courtrooms.
The article contrasts those responses with the statements of Kevin Rowe, Clerk of the District of Connecticut, who indicated that the District's local rules prohibits the Clerk's Office from releasing that information except to counsel.
The rule at the center of this issue is Local Civil Rule 83.5, which provides, in part, that:
"The Clerk shall not provide information concerning the petit or grand jurors to any person, other than a judicial officer, except that the Clerk shall make available petit juror questionnaires to counsel or pro se parties participating in jury selection. Applications for exceptions to this Rule 83.5 shall be made in writing to the presiding Judge and shall set forth the information sought and the reason for the request."
According to the Connecticut Post article, Judge Thompson indicated that he reads that rule as pertaining only to responses on juror questionnaires that are submitted before jury selection in open court, rather than the names and towns of sitting jurors. Judge Thompson advised the Connecticut Post that he would discuss this issue with his colleagues, and that he
is considering a court media panel to work out any access problems that may arise.
We invite our members to opine on this issue. What do you think the Rule requires/prohibits? What SHOULD it require/prohibit? Do you have any of your own stories regarding disclosure or protection of jurors' identities from your clerking days? (Obviously, don't disclose any protected material!)
You can comment by clicking the "Comment" link below.
March 11, 2007
New Federal Rules and Computer Forensics
DCLC members Brian Roche and Gerald Pia recently published an article in the Connecticut Law Tribune on the "Secrets Of The Computer Hard Drive." Their firm's CyberLaw practice includes the handling of trade secret and computer crimes cases, and they suggest in the article that the search for the "smoking gun" often starts with a forensic search of their clients' own computer systems -- at least in the context of alleged breaches by former employees. Roche and Pia further opine that the potential breadth of the new amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure may provide incentive for parties and non-parties to avoid potential invasive forensic searches by settling early in the litigation.
"Secrets Of The Computer Hard Drive," originally published in the "E-Discovery and Technology" supplement to the Connecticut Law Tribune, can be viewed by clicking here.
Have you authored an article that you would like published on fedclerks.com? Email us. We would love to post it.
March 2, 2007
DCLC Co-Founders In The News
From time to time we have asked Members to submit stories, news, and/or events about themselves for a quick blog on our website. In an effort to spark such submissions, we note that DCLC co-chair Gerald Pia ("Jerry") was quoted in the Your Money section of today's Connecticut Post, after attending an Intellectual Property seminar put on by Carmody and Torrance in Roche Pia's new hometown of Shelton, Connecticut. Pia complimented the presenters, and also got the chance to talk about Roche Pia's CyberLaw practice. The CT Post story can be viewed by clicking here.
Please let us know if any of our members are ever featured in the news, or have any updates or stories that we would all be interested to read.
Advisory Committee: Alyssa Esposito, Law Clerk to Judge Fitzsimmons; Krishna Patel, Assistant United States Attorney
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