Leander A. Dolphin

Leander understands the unique challenges facing parties in education-related litigation, not the least of which is that administrators, teachers, parents and students involved in a dispute will often continue to work together for years after the issue has been resolved. When disputes arise, Leander represents clients in all phases of investigations, negotiations, pre-trial discovery, trials and appeals. She has successfully defended and pursued claims in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and in alternative-dispute resolution forums across the state. 

A skilled educator in her own right, Leander has been an adjunct professor of education law at Quinnipiac University School of Law. She also conducts a wide range of workshops for public- and private-sector clients on topics such as sexual harassment, bullying, special education, disability and other forms of discrimination, and confidentiality.

Leander is a trusted advisor to many of her clients and is regularly sought out for her guidance and access to resources in areas beyond education and employment law. 

A gifted leader, Leander was named by Governor Ned Lamont as a Commissioner of the Connecticut Judicial Selection Committee, and was elected to Chair the Commission, which is responsible for seeking and recommending to the governor qualified candidates for nomination as judges in Connecticut courts. Her term on the Commission ended in August of 2025. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the CBIA.  In 2022, the Connecticut Law Tribune recognized Leander as the 2022 Attorney of the Year, a prestigious annual award given to one Connecticut lawyer who has had outstanding success and has made significant impact on Connecticut’s legal community.  Leander was recently named to the Hartford Business Journal’s Power 50 List and Top 25 Women in Business.