Judge Susan B. Handy of Old Lyme is the recipient of this year’s Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award.

The Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) has announced The Honorable Susan B. Handy of Old Lyme as the recipient of this year’s Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award.

Judge Handy is a senior judge assigned to the New London Judicial District.  She serves as a member of the Criminal Jury Instruction Committee and co-chairs the Events Subcommittee of the Judicial-Media Committee. She is a former chair of the External Affairs Advisory Board, serves on the faculty for the education of newly appointed judges, and often is part of the Connecticut Judges Institute teaching faculty.

She has served as the Chief Administrative Judge of Criminal Matters, the Administrative Judge of the New London Judicial District, the presiding judge of criminal matters in New London, and is a past member of both the Rules Committee and the Executive Committee.

An outstanding contributor to the bar and the bench throughout her career, Judge Handy maintains a commitment to the civics education of students on behalf of the Connecticut Bar Association and the Connecticut Judicial Branch. As the judge member of the CBA Civics Education Committee, she helped coordinate a video reenactment depiction of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the Connecticut Compromise. The reenactment video was unveiled at the Connecticut Council for the Social Studies Annual Conference held on October 25 at Central Connecticut State University.

Additionally, she has been actively involved with the CBA’s Law Day activities. In 2013, she organized and wrote the script for the Law Day program at the Connecticut Appellate Court and is currently working with the committee on organizing the 2014 Law Day program.

The Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award will be presented to Handy at the CBA’s first annual awards celebration, “Celebrate with the Stars,” on April 3 at Cascade in Hamden sponsored by Geraghty & Bonnano LLC, Attorneys at Law and Kronholm Insurance Services.

For decades, the association has honored leaders in the legal profession for their professional accomplishments and community service as part of the CBA Annual Meeting. This year, a special evening is being dedicated to recognizing Connecticut’s top judges and lawyers who make a difference through their work by demonstrating allegiance, dedication, conscientious service, commitment, and mentorship.

“Celebrate with the Stars” is an exciting occasion where professionals and supporters of the legal industry can mix and mingle with their peers in a lively, celebratory evening out. Other awards to be presented at “Celebrate with the Stars” include: the John Eldred Shields Distinguished Professional Service Award, the Charles J. Parker Legal Services Award, the Tapping Reeve Legal Educator Award, the Citizen of the Law Award and The Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award.

The recipient of the Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award must meet the following criteria: he or she be a member of the Connecticut Judiciary, federal or state court, who has integrity and epitomizes long-term, dedicated, and conscientious service to the community in his or her judicial role; must be a hard-working judge who labors long in his or her duties; and who is selfless in his or her approach to the demands of the judge position.

Judge Handy was selected based on nominations submitted to the CBA Awards Committee.

Henry J. Naruk (1928-1991) of Middletown was the 60th president of the CBA. Under his presidency, the CBA successfully ran a then-record-number of continuing legal education seminars that had been attended by approximately 5,300 Connecticut attorneys. Also under his astute leadership, the CBA created the Women and the Law Section in 1983.

The Connecticut Bar Association is a professional association committed to the advancement of justice, the practice of law, the image of the profession, and public understanding of the law. For more information, visit www.ctbar.org.