Pioneering Hartford Federal Judge Is Retiring: Feds

HARTFORD, CT — A pioneering, legally blind federal judge working out of the U.S. District Court in Hartford is retiring, according to federal officials Monday.

Chief United States District Judge Michael P. Shea said Monday that Senior United States District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant, who sits in Hartford, will assume inactive senior status on Dec. 31.

Bryant was nominated by President George W. Bush and sworn in as a United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut on April 2, 2007, as the first female African-American federal judge in New England.

Shea praised Bryant’s service to the Court.

“For more than 16 years, Judge Bryant has served the people of Connecticut with tireless dedication, and throughout her influential career, she has paved the way for countless young legal professionals. Her colleagues, members of the bar, and court staff will miss her presence,” he said.

From 1998 to 2007, she served on the Connecticut Superior Court as the administrative judge for the Litchfield Judicial District and the presiding judge of the Civil Division for the Hartford and New Britain Judicial Districts.

Also legally blind, Bryant has been an accomplished role model and inspiration for many, including the visually impaired, federal officials said.

Bryant has had an extensive career in law since graduating from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1978.

She has received many awards, including the NAACP Greater Hartford Branch Freedom Award and the George W. Crawford Black Bar Association Award.

Bryant assumed senior status in 2021. The District of Connecticut has eight authorized judgeships, with one vacancy.

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