School of Law Spring Alumni Reception
June 11, 2025
5:30 PM - 8:30 PM (ET)
Read More Opens in a new tab or window.Dear fellow alumni:
The Quinnipiac Law Alumni Association is pleased to share its Nominating Committee’s slate of candidates for officer and member-at-large positions on the Association’s Executive Board (E-Board).
See the list of candidates and their bios below.
Any nominations in addition to those made by the Nominating Committee — for any E-Board position, whether officer or Member-at-Large — may be made by any alumnus or alumna.
Such nominations must:
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be supported by signatures (electronic signatures are fine) of 50 alumni;
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identify the nominee and the position for which he or she is being nominated; and
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include a brief bio of the nominee.
All additional nominations must be emailed on or before May 21, 2025, at 5 p.m. to [email protected].
President
Adam M. Swanson, J.D. ’08
Adam represents major financial institutions in disputes brought by consumers, including those concerning consumer mortgage lending and servicing and consumer credit, as well as major title companies in real property, land title, and title insurance litigation.
His experience in the consumer mortgage lending and servicing sectors includes handling legal challenges concerning agency and non-agency mortgages, large mortgage portfolios, and residential mortgage-backed securities products. Adam represents all the major players in the consumer mortgage lending and servicing space in the full range of claims arising from origination, servicing, default servicing, foreclosure, bankruptcy, evictions as well as concerning real estate owned properties.
Adam’s extensive experience resolving real property matters includes those concerning deeds, easements, ownership disputes, land titles, and real property acquisitions. Because of his deep understanding of the consumer mortgage sector, Adam is regularly retained by the nation’s largest title insurers to provide them with efficient and cost-effective solutions to their most complex real property disputes.
Passionate about giving back to the community, Adam serves on the Board of Directors of Connecticut Legal Services, Connecticut’s largest legal aid agency. Adam also serves on the Board of Directors for the Fairfield County Bar Association.
Adam is the current President of the School of Law Alumni Association, has been an active member of the association for many years, and is very pleased to be nominated to serve a second term as President.
Vice President
Andrew Knott, J.D. ’03
Andrew graduated from the School of Law in 2003 and has been practicing since then with his father John Knott. QUSL alumnus Rpbert Robert J. Santoro, (QUSL ’75) is also a partner of the firm. The practice focuses on all aspects of probate, trust, estate, and elder law, including bioethics, special needs, and elder abuse and exploitation.
Andrew is also an experienced neutral, serving as a magistrate for the superior court and claims commissioner hearing small claims and claims against the state, as well as deciding matters for several arbitration panels. He lives locally with his wife and two children.
Andrew is the current Law Alumni Association Vice President, has been a QU Law Alumni board member for over a decade, and is pleased to be nominated for a second term as Vice President.
Secretary
Kelly Petter JD ’11
Kelly is a partner at Gerber Ciano Kelly Brady LLP in Hartford, where she focuses her practice on complex insurance coverage and defense matters ranging from pre-suit investigation, coverage and liability analysis through litigation and trial. Kelly is often selected to represent large institutional clients in high-stakes litigation involving declaratory judgment, breach of contract, bad faith and class action matters. She recently advised a national carrier regarding its nationwide response to a high volume of claims involving emerging medical and scientific data, and the relevant legal standards associated therewith.
Kelly defends pre-suit and litigation matters involving complex liability and damages defenses. The breadth of Kelly’s practice includes, but is not limited to construction losses, and premises liability, contract dispute, liquor liability, product liability and professional liability matters in state and federal courts across Connecticut and New York. Kelly is regularly asked to serve as pro hac vice counsel across the country in complex coverage and defense matters. She also has experience litigating before the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO).
Kelly has been named a Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Star from 2018 to 2021. She is a Member of the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association and Chair of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association. She is a Member of the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC), Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM) and Defense Research Institute (DRI), and co-hosts a podcast on Clubhouse called the I ❤ Insurance Club. Kelly regularly presents to trade organizations and insurance companies regarding insurance coverage, extracontractual liability, and defense matters.
Kelly is the current Law Alumni Association Treasurer, and is please to be nominated for a second term.
Members-at-Large
Rebecca Braunger Mines, JD ’04
Becky has been a member of the QU Alumni Executive Board since 2019. She is a Legal Medical Researcher and specializes in International Public Health Law. Her focus is on developing health systems that address communicative diseases, both domestically and in the Middle East. She has worked for the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the University of Connecticut, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as the World Health Organization.
During her time at Quinnipiac University, Becky was active in the Mock Trial, Law & Medicine, Criminal Law, Women’s Law societies. She was also an active member of the Society for Dispute Resolution and Phi Alpha Delta. While she competed for Mock Trial, she was a finalist for both the ABA Representation in Mediation Intramural and the ABA Client Interview and Counseling Regional. In her final year at Quinnipiac Law, 2003 - 2004, she acted as an Admissions Ambassador.
Becky earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Law and Society with a minor in Philosophy from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a J.D. with a concentration in Health Law from Quinnipiac University School of Law.
Chris Gallagher, JD ’05
Chris is a partner at Thomas, Thomas & Hafer in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, which he joined in August 2018 with an extensive background in litigation and considerable trial experience. His practice focuses on the defense of general liability, insurance coverage and bad faith matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Chris practiced in the State of Connecticut where he concentrated his practice in the defense of complex property insurance litigation and oversaw the litigation of professional liability claims throughout the country.
Chris is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the state of Connecticut, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the United States District Court of Connecticut.
Chris graduated from University of Scranton in 2000, and from QUSL in 2005. He is pleased to be renominated to serve another term as a Law Alumni Association Executive Board member-at-large.
Jason K. Gamsby, JD ’13
Jason is a partner at Bartlett & Grippe Injury Attorneys in Cheshire, Connecticut. He is a 2003 graduate of Sacred Heart University (Fairfield, CT), with a B.S. in Psychology and an A.S. in Legal Administration. He received his M.S. in Forensic Science with a concentration in Advanced Investigation in 2008 from the Henry C. Lee School of Forensic Science. He received his Juris Doctorate with a concentration in Civil Advocacy with Honors from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2013. While at Quinnipiac, Jason received the Arnold J. Bai Award for Excellence in Litigation and was featured in the Quinnipiac Magazine for his effective use of visual persuasion at trial.
Jason handles all aspects of personal injury; however, he specializes in automotive liability, premises liability, products liability, animal liability, and medical malpractice. In his legal career, he has successfully tried 25 cases to jury verdict for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Prior to joining Bartlett and Grippe, Jason was Senior Trial Attorney for Allstate Insurance Company from 2017-2022. Jason spent the first 13 years of his legal career working at Faxon Law Group in New Haven, CT.
Jason has been an Adjunct Professor in Legal Studies at the University of New Haven since 2019 teaching Trial Practice. Jason is also the University of New Haven Mock Trial Team coach. He previously served a three-year term on the University of New Haven Alumni Board of Directors. Jason currently serves as a member on the Quinnipiac University Athletics Bobcat Blitz, Board of Directors since its inception in 2024. He is also an active member of the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce.
Jason is admitted to practice law in all Connecticut State Courts and the United States District Courts for the District of Connecticut and the Southern District of New York. During his previous involvement on the Connecticut Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section, he frequently coordinated and presented at many State CLE programs. He has also been recognized by his peers as a Connecticut Super Lawyer Rising Star.
Jason enjoys spending time with his wife, Lisa, and his daughter, Grace. As a family, they enjoy Disney World, Quinnipiac University Ice Hockey, and vacationing. Jason also coaches his daughter’s softball team in their hometown of Guilford, CT and he takes great pride in watching her play competitive ice hockey throughout the Northeast Region.
Christopher Kenworthy ’09
Christopher Kenworthy is a trial-tested lawyer with more than 13 years of experience representing clients in personal injury and workers compensation cases. He has successfully won or settled more than 300 cases throughout his career.
Christopher worked his way through law school as a law clerk for an insurance company - learning firsthand how insurers valued, defended, negotiated and fought against personal injury claims. He has spent the rest of his career using this insider knowledge of the insurance industry to benefit his clients. He knows how insurance companies think - and he uses that to win cases for his clients and their families.
Through his years in private practice, Christopher has successfully resolved hundreds of plaintiffs’ personal injury cases through settlement, mediation, arbitration, or trial.
Christopher received his Juris Doctorate degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law, graduating magna cum laude,. While in law school, he served as the Articles and Opinions Editor of the Probate Law Journal and participated on the school’s mock trial and dispute resolution competition teams. He also interned in the United States District Court in Bridgeport, gaining valuable research and legal writing experience from working alongside a federal judge and the federal law clerks.
Christopher also has a passion for education and has been a certified secondary education teacher. Before deciding to pursue a legal career, he used his Bachelor’s degree in Biology to teach middle school science at a charter school in Stamford and a public middle school in Bridgeport. When not working on behalf of clients, Christopher enjoys soccer, golf, live music, chess and spending time with his family and friends.
Massimino (Max) Enrico Iori, JD ’92
Max Iori is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley in the Legal and Compliance Division serving as the global head of the Technology & Data Legal practice group, based in New York. His current responsibilities include technology, data, outsourcing, intellectual property, privacy, cyber security, artificial intelligence/machine learning, financial services operations, blockchain, information management, social media, marketing, third party regulations, and emerging technology legal matters.
Max serves as the Chair of the Technology & Regulation Committee of SIFMA and on the inhouse counsel advisory board for ReynenCourt Inc., a legal technology provider. Max just completed a second term as President of the Quinnipiac University School of Law Alumni Association and is excited to continue working closely with the Association as a member-at-large.
Natassia Taj Najman ’21
Natassia Taj Najman is a Trust and Estate Advisor at the UHNW Institute, a nonprofit think tank and learning exchange for ultra high net worth individuals and families designed to educate and help them navigate the wealth management industry.
Tash’s experience in Trusts and Estates began in law school when she worked as an extern for the Honorable Kate Maxham at the Fairfield Probate Court. Also during law school, Tash interned with law firms Withers LLP and Cohen and Wolf, and worked in-house at Avangrid.
Tash continued to focus on trusts and estates, tax, and wealth management in law firm and corporate settings, including most recently at Rockefeller Capital Management, before joining the UNHW Institute.
Tash volunteers for Project Linus, which provides handmade blankets to children 0-18 in the United States who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need.
Tash loves travel, speaks Spanish, French, and Portuguese proficiently, and is a beginner student of Mandarin and German.
Chris R. Nelson JD ’04
Chris is In-House Counsel at United Healthcare, where he practices in the area of Privacy & Cyber Security. Prior to working for United Healthcare, Chris was a partner at Nelson/Votto in New Haven.
Chris is very involved with state and local bar associations. Currently he is an Officer of the New Haven County Bar Association’s Executive Committee and is a Member of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Professionalism Committee. Chris has previously served on the CBA House of Delegates and has also served as Chair of the CBA Young Lawyers Section and President of the New Haven Young Lawyers. Chris is also member of the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Access to Justice Commission. Additionally, Chris is a member of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and the Secretary of the New Haven Inn of Court. In 2017, Chris was selected to become a James W. Cooper fellow by the Connecticut Bar Foundation.
Chris has been an active member of the Law Alumni Association for many years in a number of positions, including member-at-large and co-chair of the Nominating Committee.
Megan Nielson ’20
Megan at Quinnipiac as a career change. Prior to law school, Megan worked as a print reporter, and ultimately ended up at the CT Law Tribune. She was involved in organizations while at QUSL, including as an editor for the Probate Law Journal and an executive board member for SDR. While in SDR, Megan and her partner won the national championship for client counseling in 2020.
Megan has continued to give her time to coach SDR teams, judge intramural teams, judge 1L oral arguments, and attend alumni events. Quinnipiac was a fantastic experience for Megan, and she strives to give back in every way that she can.
Megan is a partner at Rose Kallor LLP in Hartford where she practices employment and municipal defense. She was previously co-chair of the Young Lawyers Section for the Labor and Employment Section. She is currently on the executive board for the labor and employment section for the CBA.
Megan met her husband as a 1L at QUSL, so her connection to the law school has a very personal aspect to it. She looks forward to serving as a member-at-large on the Law Alumni Association Executive Board.
J.R. Pichardo ’15
John-Raphael Pichardo, born and raised in the Hudson Valley of NY, currently serves as Senior Counsel for National Grid. He is also the owner of Pichardo & Associates, LLC, a general service law firm with a focus on immigration, real estate, and support for small businesses and entrepreneurs. Previously, John-Raphael served as Counsel to the City of Albany Common Council, where he was the primary drafter of significant legislation, including reforms to the Community Police Review Board and the Albany Police Department.
John-Raphael graduated in 2012 from the University at Albany, SUNY, with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in Music. In 2015, he earned his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law, concentrating in Tax Law. During his time at Quinnipiac, he demonstrated strong leadership as the Northeast Regional Chair of the National Black Law Student Association, overseeing 32 chapters, and was a founding member of the Quinnipiac Chapter of the Latino Law Student Association.
His professional journey includes roles as a Court Attorney in New York City Housing Court and a Law Clerk for the New York State Department of Labor, where he prosecuted employers for labor violations. Prior to law school, he served as a Session Assistant to State Senator Liz Krueger.
In his spare time, John-Raphael enjoys staying physically active through workouts and outdoor calisthenics, and he is a classically trained opera singer."
JR is eager to join the Law Alumni Executive Board to support current students, enhance alumni engagement, and promote the continued excellence of Quinnipiac Law.
Joshua Pinkus ’06
Joshua recently relocated back to Connecticut after having ventured out of state for work over the past 10 years. He is looking to reconnect and reengage with the school and the state, and help promote engagement, broaden public service activities, and promote the role and importance of QUSL in Connecticut and beyond.
Joshua graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2003, where he obtained a BS in Health Care Management (Finance) and minored in Political Science. He then attended QUSL, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 2006. Post-graduation, he initially worked in various roles with the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch; however, over the last 15 years, he has worked for the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Joshua began his federal career with SSA in August 2010, as an Attorney Advisor in the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO). Within OHO, he also served as a Senior Attorney Adjudicator and in various management positions, including leading the National Adjudication Team and the Special Review Cadre. He also served as an Administrative Appeals Judge with the Office of Appellate Operations, and as a General Attorney the Office of the Counsel to the Inspector General. Over the past 2.5 years, Joshua has served as Administrative Law Judge for OHO, first in Buffalo, NY; however, in December of 2024, he was appointed Hearing Office Chief Administrative Law Judge in Springfield, MA, allowing him to return to Connecticut, and to West Hartford, CT, which he now calls home.
Joshua enjoys spending my non-working time traveling, and spending time with family and friends; and he looks forward to re-connecting with the Quinnipiac Law family!
Sylvia K. Rutkowska, JD '08
Sylvia is a managing partner at Arch Law Group, LLP (formerly Dzialo, Pickett & Allen, PC) where her practice focuses primarily on land use, civil litigation, municipal law and personal injury matters. She has been named a Rising Star/Top Rated Super Lawyer by Connecticut Super Lawyer consecutively since 2013, a New Leader in the Law by the Connecticut Law Review and was one of Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund's 40 Women for the Next 40 Years.
As she was during her time at Quinnipiac, Sylvia is an extremely active member of numerous professional and civic associations and has held several leadership positions with the Connecticut Bar Association, including its Executive Board, Board of Governors, House of Delegates, Alternative Dispute Resolution Section, Litigation Section and Young Lawyers Section, and the Middlesex County Bar Association. She was born in Poland and currently lives in Durham.
Sylvia has been an active member of the Law Alumni Association for many years as a member-at-large and co-chair of the Nominating Committee.
Atchuthan Sriskandarajah ’96
Attorney Sriskandarajah is a founder and principal of The Law Offices of SRIS, P.C. In addition to his law degree, Attorney Sriskandarajah has a degree in accounting, IT certifications, and experience handling matters involving complex financial and technological aspects.
He has played an active role in the Virginia bar, working on amendments to equitable distribution law and championing the recognition of cultural celebrations and landmarks. His involvement with the Kiwanis Club and his advisory role with the Indian Consulate reflect his dedication to serving others.
Quinnipiac University School of Law played a pivotal role in Attorney Sriskandarajah’s professional development, and he is eager to give back to the institution that shaped his career. He is committed to enhancing alumni engagement, fostering mentorship opportunities, and promoting the law school’s reputation.
Attorney Sriskandarajah looks forward to dedicating his time and energy to serving the alumni association and contributing to the continued success of Quinnipiac Law.
Gregory Takacs, JD ’95
From his time on the Bridgeport pitch as a “lock” for the Q-Law Rugby Team, to leading Counter-Terrorism Investigations on 4 continents for the FBI, Gregory Takacs (‘95) has been a proud alumnus, relying on the skills and abilities honed at Quinnipiac Law while utilizing them throughout a career of service.
Mr. Takacs has successfully demonstrated how a legal education can lead to an alternative career from the traditional practice of law. After graduating and serving as the Symposium Editor for the Quinnipiac Law Review, Mr. Takacs’ professional life began as a Legal Research Clerk for the Connecticut Superior Courts. He was focused by his judges to author draft opinions in Connecticut State Criminal & Constitutional Law issues before the court. As his term began to wind down and the paths to law firm careers began to emerge, the FBI called Mr. Takacs to test for Special Agent.
Mr. Takacs began his 25-year career with the FBI investigating violent Drug Trafficking Organizations. His legal background served him well in the homicide interview rooms of the NYPD Precincts and New York City Of_ice of the FBI. He became an FBI Legal Instructor and maintained his bar memberships, often sitting second chair with the AUSA’s during his own cases’ hearings and trials. Mr. Takacs served as a front-line leader at FBIHQ and then within the New York Counter-Terrorism Division. Mr. Takacs was selected to lead the FBI Extraterritorial Counter-Terrorism efforts of the United States Intelligence Community, working with the Departments of Defense and State in Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America. In this position, he enhanced or developed overseas relationships with the United States’ intelligence and law enforcement partners in the Global War on Terrorism. Mr. Takacs represented the United States’ mission in 26 Countries and 5 active Combat Zones. For his efforts, he was chosen to be the Chief of Staff of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force. Mr. Takacs was subsequently named to lead all FBI criminal investigations throughout the state of New Jersey and became the Executive Of_icer of the Newark Division of the FBI.
Upon his retirement, Mr. Takacs accepted a position with Avangrid, the American subsidiary of the international energy company, Iberdrola. His legal education was put to a more traditional use as he was hired to lead the Privacy & Data Protection Department, and negotiated the cyber security terms of Third-Party contracts while implementing a Data Protection Risk and Governance Program. He undertook the leadership of the team managing all risk aspects of Avangrid Third-Party engagements. Mr. Takacs currently serves as the Executive Chief of Staff for the Vice President leading the Avangrid Corporate Security Of_ice.
Mr. Takacs is an Eagle Scout and gives back to Scouting by participating as a Merit Badge Counselor for the Law, Fingerprinting, and Criminal Justice awards. He served as a Cultural Professional Mentor for the FBI and now at Avangrid.
He has been married to Elizabeth (nee Kisiel, JD, ‘95) for the past 27 years. He is the father of two boys; Geoffrey and Jake, and a dog dad to two rescue dogs; Lulu and Bodhi. Since his retirement, Mr. Takacs is also the founding Principal of a consulting group for criminal defense and adversarial law enforcement engagements. In his opinion, his highest professional achievements have been when he published a Law Review article which became the basis of Connecticut’s and New Jersey’s regulatory framework to apply federal civil tort law as a check on bounty hunters indiscretions, and when Patrick Swayze played him in a music video where Ja-Rule & Murder, Inc. re-counted one of his FBI investigations
Mr. Takacs attributes the success throughout his professional career to one constant: the Quinnipiac Law School education which provided him a strong base from which to build achievements upon. With gratitude, Mr. Takacs has sought opportunities to give back to his alma mater. By example, he has contacted the Career Of_ice to recruit graduates into the Avangrid Global Graduate Program. This program provides an employment opportunity for recent graduates to develop experience in an international setting.
Mr. Takacs would be honored to continue his service to the law school in the capacity as a member of the Law Alumni Executive Board and appreciates the consideration.
Regina Thornton, JD/MBA ’00
Regina graduated magna cum laude with two degrees from Quinnipiac University; in law in 2000 and business in 1988. While at the School of Law, Regina won the Dean’s Scholarship Award, Outstanding Legal Scholarship Award, Academic Excellence Award, and Excellence in Clinical Work Award. She was Note and Case Note Editor for the Quinnipiac Law Review in 2000 and, in that year, she published two notes, one in the Law Review and another in the Quinnipiac Health Law Journal.
Before her retirement last year, Regina spent twenty years in leadership positions at a number of health care organizations. She has decades of experience in compliance, risk management, contracting, privacy and in-house consultative lawyering. Her focus areas included legal analysis and impact to business operations, health law, mental health parity, insurance law, material review and regulatory compliance.
Regina currently is engaged in several non-profit boards and volunteer work, including: Ball & Socket Arts, an arts and cultural center and development project in Cheshire, CT; Friends of the Cheshire Public Library; and St. Bridget of Sweden parish ministries.
Regina is a current member-at-large, and pleased to be re-nominated to the QUSL Alumni Executive Board. She is leading a joint effort by the School of Law and the Law Alumni Association to support a new a mentoring program that will connect first-year students with alumni.
Stacey Yarborough, JD ’00
Stacey was born and raised in Mississippi, earned her B.S. at Arizona State University, and has made Connecticut her home since she moved here to attend QU Law in 1997.
Stacey practiced law for ten years in a variety of settings before being elected in 2009 as the Town of North Haven’s Tax Collector, as well as Town Clerk and Registrar of Vital Records. Her duties and responsibilities as Tax Collector include, but are not limited to: the collection of all real estate, personal property, and motor vehicle tax bills.
As Town Clerk, Stacey is the keeper of all town records, and the de facto historian of the community, with vested interest in preservation of the same as a citizen and as the Town Clerk. The Town Clerk’s office maintains permanent records for land transactions, maps, recorded marriage, birth and deaths, issuance of marriage licenses, liquor permits, dog licenses, hunting and fishing licenses, certified copies of birth, marriage and death certificates, to name a few. Stacey works closely with the Registrars of Voters in the preparation for and supervision of all primaries, elections and referenda held in the Town of North Haven, including the preparation and distribution of Absentee Ballots for the same. Stacey is also responsible for convening all Town Meetings, including the Annual Town Meeting, the Annual Town Budget Meeting, as well as all public hearings. Stacey also serves as Secretary of the Town of North Haven’s Safety Committee.
Stacey is married with two children, and has lived in North Haven, CT since 2003.
Kristen Zaehringer, JD ’05
Kristen is a litigation partner at BGM Law Group where she represents corporate and individual clients in complex commercial cases, arbitrations, mediations, and before regulatory agencies. Kristen’s practice consists of three primary areas: (1) business and contractual disputes, (2) employment law, and (3) legal ethics.
Kristen has been a member of the Alumni Association’s Executive Board since 2013, having participated in various mentoring programs, the Gateway to Practice Program, and other training events sponsored by the Career Services Office. She also co-teaches the Foundations of Practice class for first-year law students.
Kristen served on the Federal Grievance Committee, a group of lawyers that hears grievance complaints against lawyers admitted to practice in federal court. She is a past co-chair of the Federal Practice Section of the Connecticut Bar Association and a past member of the District of Connecticut’s Local Civil Rules Advisory Committee.
Kristen began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Dominic J. Squatrito, United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut. She graduated magna cum laude from QUSL in 2005.
