Udell ’01 LL.M. Evaluates Supreme Court Nominee

HARTFORD, CT (April 29, 2016) Jackson Lewis P.C. attorney Collin O’Connor Udell recently participated in an extensive evaluation of the qualifications and background of the Honorable Merrick Garland, President Obama’s nominee to fill the existing vacancy on the United States Supreme Court, in her capacity as Committee Member on the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) Supreme Court Committee. Based on its review of more than 330 opinions and dissents authored by Judge Garland and articles authored or coauthored by him, its interviews of dozens of individuals, and its consideration of the information publicly available as of the date of its letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee, NAWL’s Supreme Court Committee concluded that Judge Garland is “well-qualified” for the position of Associate Justice, which is the highest rating that the Committee is authorized to confer upon a nominee. The committee's evaluation has been sent to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary for its consideration.

The committee, whose members are appointed by NAWL's President, independently reviews and evaluates the qualifications of presidential nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, with an emphasis on laws and decisions regarding women's rights and those that have a special impact on women.

Ms. Udell is Of Counsel in the Hartford, Connecticut, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Her practice focuses on United States Supreme Court litigation and on complex or novel issues arising in other federal appeals. She has taken a central role in 35 cases before the United States Supreme Court, some of which have been widely acknowledged as among the most important cases of the last few terms.  In 2016, she received an award from the International Municipal Lawyers Association for the amicus brief she drafted in a First Amendment case before the United States Supreme Court.  In addition to her Supreme Court experience, Ms. Udell has represented clients in a wide variety of cases in the federal courts of appeals, including matters involving statutory construction and labor and employment.

Ms. Udell has significant clerkship experience, having clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit for the Honorable Bruce M. Selya; the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit for the Honorable José A. Cabranes; and the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut for the Honorable Robert N. Chatigny. She received her J.D. summa cum laude from the University of Connecticut School of Law and her LL.M. from Yale Law School.