Lawyer With Area Ties Named Magistrate Judge

HARTFORD, CT — A veteran of the legal profession with longtime ties to Hartford and Tolland counties, Thomas O. Farrish, has been selected as a magistrate judge for the District of Connecticut.

Farrish was recently a partner in the Hartford office of Day Pitney LLP. He was sworn in on Jan. 8 and will preside at the Hartford federal courthouse. Farrish fills the magistrate judge vacancy created by the retirement of Magistrate Judge Donna F. Martinez, which was effective on Oct. 4.

Farrish is a longtime resident of Connecticut. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1981 and was honorably discharged in 1987. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut in 1999, and a juris doctor degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 2005. He was Editor-in-Chief of the Connecticut Law Review.

Farrish joined Day Pitney in 2005 as an associate counsel. The general nature of his practice comprised insurance disputes and other complex commercial matters, with a specialty in reinsurance, in both state and federal courts. In addition, he had a substantial pro bono practice representing indigent prison inmates in federal court.

Farrish is a member of the American, Connecticut, Hartford County, and Tolland County Bar Associations. He has been a member of the CBA’s Insurance Law and Federal Practice sections. In addition, since 2006, he has been a member of ARIAS-US, a group dedicated to the improvement of arbitration as a mechanism for resolving insurance and reinsurance disputes. He is a former member of the Oliver Ellsworth Inn of Court, the board of trustees of the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center (2012 to 2018), and the Board of the University of Connecticut Law School Foundation (2011 to 2017).

The Selection Committee received 32 applications for the judicial position.

Of Farrish, it noted, "Among many qualified candidates, Tom Farrish, a former Marine, distinguished himself as a highly skilled and experienced litigator who always made time for meaningful pro bono work. He impressed the Committee members as an attorney with integrity, good judgement, and a calm and caring demeanor, who can readily take on the responsibilities of a Magistrate Judge."

Added Chief Judge Stefan R. Underhill. “Tom Farrish is an outstanding lawyer. He has been a respected leader in the legal profession. He is very smart and possesses a wealth of knowledge and experience. My colleagues and I are thrilled to welcome him to the ranks of judicial officers in our District.”