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Judge Lawlor will succeed Judge
F. Paul Kurmay who has served in the position since 1994. Judge Kurmay
announced he was retiring in April. Judge Lawlor will take on his new
position Feb. 1, 2002.
"I am pleased to make this
announcement," said Chief Justice Sullivan. "Judge Lawlor is a man
of integrity and compassion – someone who knows how to discharge probate
responsibilities with a sense of discretion and sensibility. And, he has the
credentials for this vital position in the judicial community."
Judge Lawlor had this comment:
"The Probate Court Administrator carries a major portion of the
responsibilities for the direction of the Probate Court system. I am pleased
to have been considered and grateful for the opportunity to serve."
Having served the Waterbury
Court for 23 years, Judge Lawlor added, "My experience in that Court
lends favorably to the work to be done in the Administrator’s office. I
hope that I can continue to have a positive influence and that influence
will show in improving services to the communities throughout the
State."
The Special Merit Committee,
appointed to handle the process for filling the position, interviewed 13
candidates. The committee consisted of six judges and two attorneys. Two
members of the committee are current probate judges while two members are
former probate judges.
Included among his
accomplishments, Judge Lawlor developed a computer database program for
Waterbury Probate Court that was adopted by the Probate Assembly in 1985.
Judge Lawlor in 1998 also
developed the Christopher Project; a program designed to provide services to
children appearing before the court. For 12 years he has been a member of
the Connecticut Probate Assembly Executive Committee, serving as its
treasurer for nine years.
He is a graduate of Fairfield
University and Boston College Law School. He was admitted to Connecticut
State Courts in 1967, the Connecticut Federal District Court in 1969, and
the U.S. Supreme Court in 1990.
Judge Lawlor has practiced
general law in Waterbury since 1967. He organized the Lawlor Title Company,
a title searching and abstracting business.
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