Biden Nominates New Haven Native To Serve As CT U.S. Attorney

WASHINGTON, DC — President Joe Biden has nominated New Haven native Vanessa R. Avery as U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, according to The White House. Avery grew up in New Haven and graduated from New Haven Public Schools.

In an announcement Wednesday morning, the White House noted that Biden had chosen nominees "who will be indispensable to upholding the rule of law as the top federal law enforcement officials for their districts."

"These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice," the White House statement said.

Avery, who has served as the Chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the state Attorney General’s Office since 2021, and as an Associate Attorney General since 2019, earned her bachelors degree from Yale University in 1996. She earned her J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999.

According to her White House biography, Avery served from 2014 to 2019 as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut.

From 2006 to 2014, Avery was a litigation attorney at McCarter & English, LLP. From 2004 to 2005, she served as a Trial Attorney at the United States Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division. And from 1999 to 2003, she was an attorney in the Hartford Trial Group at Cummings & Lockwood LLC.

Connecticut Attorney General William Tong lauded Biden's choice.

“Vanessa Avery is exceptionally qualified, incredibly hardworking, and an excellent choice to serve as United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut," Tong said in a statement.

"She is universally respected by every colleague she has worked with and has deep connections across the Connecticut legal community. In our work together, Vanessa always leads with integrity and a strong commitment to justice, and she insists on accountability and respect for the rule of law. I will miss her leadership and guidance here in the Office of the Attorney General, but am so proud of this achievement and look forward to working closely with her in this new well-deserved role should she be confirmed."