Dan Schwartz and Sarah Dlugoszewski to Receive Awards from Connecticut Bar Association

Shipman & Goodwin LLP is pleased to congratulate two Shipman lawyers, Daniel A. Schwartz and Sarah E. Dlugoszewski, who will receive awards from the Connecticut Bar Association at its annual “Celebrate With the Stars” event to be held on April 20, 2022 at 5:30 PM at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville, Connecticut.

Dan will be honored with the John Eldred Shields Distinguished Professional Service Award. This award is presented each year in honor of past CBA President John Eldred Shields in recognition of a CBA member who “has performed outstanding service through or on behalf of the CBA, for the benefit of the legal community and the community at large.”  Beyond his work as a partner in Shipman’s Labor and Employment practice, Dan is a committed and active leader in both the American and Connecticut bars and the community. Starting in August 2021, he will serve a three-year term on the Board of Governors for the American Bar Association. For more than 15 years, Dan served in the ABA House of Delegates before becoming the ABA’s Connecticut State Delegate and serving on the ABA Nominating Committee from 2015-2021. Dan is Past-Chair of the Connecticut Bar Foundation’s James W. Coopers Fellows, following two years leading that group in programs related to the opioid epidemic, systemic racism, rule of law, and other leading-edge issues in society.

Sarah will receive the Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award. She is one of four lawyers to receive the award named in honor of The Honorable Anthony V. DeMayo, who tirelessly fought for fundamental fairness and championed the legal rights of the poor and accused. The award recognizes CBA members who are selected based on their demonstrated dedication to the provision of legal services without expectation of payment to those in need. Sarah is passionate about serving her community and is actively involved in several volunteer programs where she provides legal advice and representation to children and veterans on a pro bono basis. The CBA recognized Sarah for her work on behalf of a Navy veteran with PTSD who initially received an “Other Than Honorable” discharge based on a single failed drug test for marijuana use. Sarah had previously persuaded the VA to reverse its denial of Shipman’s client’s application for VA benefits, by establishing that his PTSD stemmed from multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf during the Iraq War where he was exposed to numerous crash landings on an aircraft carrier. This victory provided a strong underpinning for a successful discharge upgrade application to the Naval Discharge Review Board. The veteran’s discharge status was recently upgraded, opening the door for him to recoup a broader spectrum of benefits through the VA. Shipman’s work with this veteran continues in an ongoing effort to make even more VA benefits available.  

Dan and Sarah will be honored along with all award recipients at the “Celebrate with the Stars” event on April 20^th. Our congratulations to both lawyers on the honor.