The U.S. Senate has confirmed Omar A. Williams ’02 to the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut. President Biden nominated Williams in June 2021, and the Senate confirmed his nomination on Oct. 28, 2021. Williams served as a Superior Court judge in Connecticut, having been nominated in 2014 by Gov. Dannel Malloy, after 11 years as a public defender in New Haven. While on the Superior Court bench, he served in the Sentence Review Division and on the wiretap panel, co-chaired the Jury Selection Task Force, and served on the New England Regional Judicial Opioid Initiative. Before entering law school, he earned a BA from the University of Connecticut in 1998.
Alumni Notes
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Michael McKeon ’87 Joins State Department of Education
Michael McKeon ’87 has joined the Connecticut State Department of Education as the director of legal and governmental affairs. He will oversee the Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs, including the department’s team of attorneys, and the Bureau of Investigations and Private Practice. McKeon most recently worked at the law firm Pullman and Comley. He has spoken publicly on education and employment law, including on the national level at annual conferences for the National School Boards Association and the Council of School Attorneys.
Emily M. Covey ’21 Joins Hinckley Allen
Emily M. Covey ’21 has joined Hinckley Allen as an associate in the firm’s Corporate & Business group. Covey was a summer associate with Hinckley Allen in 2019 and 2020. Her experience also includes serving as a fellow with the Kalon Law firm.
Joseph P. Mortelliti ’17 Joins Cramer & Anderson
Joseph P. Mortelliti has joined Cramer & Anderson as a litigation associate in the firm’s Danbury office. Mortelliti previously worked in the commercial real estate and litigation departments of a New Haven firm, and before that in the land use, zoning, litigation and residential real estate departments for a firm in Vernon.
Jonathan M. Bedosky ’21 Joins Cramer & Anderson
Jonathan M. Bedosky ’21 has joined Cramer & Anderson as an associate. He will engage in litigation research in varying areas of the law, including construction and contract disputes, as well as transactional work. Bedoksy’s experience includes working as a law clerk with a small firm specializing in property and real estate matters as well as working as a clinical associate with the Connecticut Urban Legal Initiative while in law school.
Christina M. Whitehead ’75 Releases New Novel
Christina M. Whitehead ’75 has released a novel of historical fiction entitled “Hemingway’s Daughter,” drawing on Ernest Hemingway’s personality and literary career to bring a fictional daughter to life. Whitehead practices divorce law in Hartford. This is her third published novel.
Nate Murphy ’10 Appointed to Energy Council
Nate Murphy ’10 has been appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to the Texas Energy Reliability Council. The council was established to ensure that the energy and electric industries in this state meet high priority human needs, address critical infrastructure concerns and enhance coordination and communication. Murphy is senior counsel for Valero and a corporate member representative for the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Industrial Energy Consumers, Louisiana Energy Users Group, Oklahoma Industrial Energy Consumers, Texas Energy Coalition, and the Association of Oil Pipelines.
Mary-Ellen Barrett ’88 Receives 2021 Pathways to Peace Award
Mary-Ellen Barrett ’88 recently received the 2021 Pathways to Peace Award from Rotary District 5340. This award is the San Diego-Imperial Country Rotary District’s major award, given for exemplary performance of peace building and peace making. Barrett, the San Diego deputy attorney general, was honored for her work in fighting human trafficking.
Robert Devlin Jr. ’75 Named CT’s First Inspector General
Former Connecticut Superior Court Judge Robert Devlin Jr. ’75 was recently named the state’s first-ever inspector general. The Office of the Inspector General was recently created as a separate office within the Division of Criminal Justice. he will lead the office in investigations of police-involved shootings and prosecute cases involving unjustified force by a police or corrections officer. The office will also make recommendations to the Police Officer Standards and Training Council concerning censure and suspension, renewal, cancelation, or revocation of an officer’s certification. Devlin has spent decades in public service, as a public defender, a state and federal prosecutor, and, for 28 years, a judge in Connecticut overseeing criminal cases. Devlin also served as administrative judge for the criminal division of the Superior Court and as co-chair of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission.