Connecticut Bar Association President Brad Gallant Tries to Remind ‘Lawyers What it Means to Be Lawyers’

Gallant assumed the presidency on July 1, and he has only one year to drive home his message of ‘equal protection' to Connecticut lawyers. That message includes reminding “lawyers what it means to be lawyers”, and part of that means taking time to prepare the class coming up, as it were.

Gallant was quoted as saying: “My purpose in choosing equal protection is to remind lawyers why they became a lawyer, so they don't worry about billable hours all the time. We are a profession, not a trade, and if we lose sight of that, then we become a trade.”


Newer attorneys may be more concerned about making money – as well they should be – but Gallant is afraid that, because of the economic downturn and the hiring slump in the legal profession, these same new attorneys may be more inclined to take on ‘ill-advised claims'. These same newer attorneys lack mentoring and training from those more experienced which, leads to a lack of long term development of skills.

Per Gallant, “This crisis burdens the future of the profession and society as a whole”. Without hands on training and consistent, continual education, it's almost like having an army of talking heads.

To aid with his cause, Gallant, in coordination with the Connecticut Bar Association, is promoting and developing programs to assist attorneys in getting the experience and training they need – even if the pay doesn't measure up.

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The bar's mentoring program pairs young lawyers with more experienced ones. These folks provide guidance during the first few years in the field. According to the article, Gallant himself had the benefit of three mentors when he first began, and that they were invaluable. He has practiced law for over three decades. “They didn't teach me the ins and outs of the job necessarily; they taught me how to be a lawyer”, Gallant was quoted as saying.

Pro bono work is highly recommended by the bar association, as it gives young attorneys a chance to work with real clients with real problems – though it doesn't provide a way to earn a living, unfortunately.

Gallant also recognizes that his message, and his efforts, apply not just to Connecticut attorneys, but to the legal profession as a whole, and that includes law schools, firms, governments and society. He also feels because of technology, and other trends, the legal profession continues to change, and that affects the hiring practices and needs, among other things, of firms. Gallant is of the mind that the legal profession needs to embrace that change by being creative, and that means finding innovative ways of accommodating clients.

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