Profession

Retired Judge, Mediator, Arbitrator

Work History

Mediator and Arbitrator, Self-employed, 2003-present; Interim Executive Director, Connecticut Office of State Ethics, October-November 2007; Superior Court Judge, State of Connecticut, 1987-03; Partner/Associate, Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder PC, 1976-87; Trial Practice Faculty, Yale Law School 1992-present.

Experience

Voted to "Best Lawyers" each year since 2006 in the ADR category. Voted to Super Lawyers. Served as Connecticut Superior Court judge for 15 years, handling civil litigation of all kinds. For the most recent five years, served on the complex litigation docket, deciding the state's most difficult public, commercial, construction, insurance and environmental cases. During course of work as a judge, wrote more than 900 opinions on a wide variety of issues arising in civil cases. Post-retirement heads Connecticut bench-bar committee to revise class action rules. Taught trial practice at Yale Law School. As a trial lawyer, she represented employee associations and boards of education, and tried jury cases in state and federal courts.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Experience

Since leaving the bench, serves as a mediator and arbitrator through the AAA and other providers in commercial, insurance, discrimination, construction, personal injury, employment and other disputes, serving on approximately 75-100 cases per year. Served as the Project Neutral on $33M construction project. Cases arbitrated and mediated include multi-million dollar constract and insurance coverage disputes, sexual misconduct claims, allocation of interests in partnerships and various breach of contract claims in a wide variety of settings including vendor relationships, home construction, as well as claims involving land use and non-competition agreements. Arbitrated numerous union grievances. Voted to "Best Lawyers" each year since 2006 in the ADR category. Member of the American Arbitration Association's panels for Construction, Commercial, Labor/Employment and Mediation.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Training

AAA Arbitration Awards: Safeguarding, Deciding & Writing Awards; AAA Dealing With Delay Tactics in Arbitration; AAA Chairing an Arbitration Panel: Managing Procedures, Process & Dynamics; AAA Labor Arbitrator II Training: Advanced Case Management Issues; AAA Commercial Arbitrator II Training: Advanced Case Management Issues; Arbitrator Update; AAA Arbitrator I Training-Fundamentals of the Arbitration Process; Connecticut Judicial Branch, Mediation Skills for Judges; Connecticut Judicial Branch, Mediation Techniques.

Professional Licenses

Admitted to the Bar: Connecticut; U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut; U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court.

Professional Associations

New Haven Bar Association; Connecticut Bar Foundation.

Education

Brown University (AB, English and American Literature); Harvard University (MAT, Secondary Education/English); Yale University (JD).

Publications

ADR column, Connecticut Law Tribune; co-author, Alternate Dispute Resolution In Connecticut's Courts, Atlantic Law Books Co., updated biennially; co-author, "Summary Jury Trial," Connecticut Bar Journal, April 1993. Rulings published in the Connecticut Law Reporter and others.

Civic Engagement

Past President Eli Whitney Museum; board member — United Way, Long Wharf Theater, Clifford Beers Clinic, New Haven Legal Assistance Association