1987

Mark Kohler ’87 Named Secretary of the State

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Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has appointed Mark F. Kohler '87 to serve as secretary of the state, filling a vacancy left by the resignation of Denise Merrill. Kohler was sworn in on July 1 and will serve until a newly elected secretary of the state takes office in January 2023.

Kohler retired earlier in 2022 from the state Office of the Attorney General, where he served as the associate attorney general and chief of the government administration division. In his 30 years with the office, he served in several divisions. From 2011 to 2021, he directed the Special Litigation Department, charged with representing state constitutional officers, the legislature, and the judiciary. The division handles election matters, charities, gaming, and federal Indian tribal issues.

Before joining the Office of the Attorney General, Kohler was an associate with Shipman & Goodwin from 1990 to 1992.

Mark Kohler sworn in

Mark Kohler '87 is sworn in as Connecticut Secretary of the State on July 1, 2022.

Joan K. Alexander ’87 Appointed to CT Supreme Court

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Joan K. Alexander

Joan K. Alexander '87 has been confirmed as an associate justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court, having previously served two years on the Connecticut Appellate Court and 20 years as a Superior Court judge. Gov. Ned Lamont nominated Alexander on April 13, 2022, and the General Assembly confirmed her appointment on April 29, 2022. While serving on the Superior Court served as the chief administrative judge for the Connecticut Judicial Branch’s Criminal Division, chair of the Sentence Review Division, and co-chair of the Judicial Media Committee. Before her appointment to the bench, she served as a state prosecutor. Before attending UConn Law, she earned her undergraduate degree from Yale University.
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Seven UConn Law Alumni Nominated to Superior Court

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Seven graduates of the UConn School of Law were nominated to the Connecticut Supreme Court by Gov. Ned Lamont on April 13, 2022. They are Scott R. Chadwick ’87, a probate judge and litigator; Assistant Connecticut Attorney General Thamar Esperance-Smith ’11; Assistant Connecticut Attorney General Josephine S. Graff ’01; New Britain State’s Attorney Brian W. Preleski ’91; Charles M. Stango ’95, the supervisory assistant state’s attorney in Milford; Greater Hartford Legal Aid attorney Cecil J. Thomas ’06; and David L. Zagaja ’93, supervisory assistant state’s attorney.

Michael McKeon ’87 Joins State Department of Education

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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.