Frederica S. Brenneman

Frederica S. Brenneman (1926-2021) was an American jurist, most notably a Connecticut Superior Court judge, and a significant figure in juvenile justice reform.

Born Frederica Joanne Shoenfield on July 10, 1926, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she attended Radcliffe College before being accepted into the first class of women at Harvard Law School in 1950. While there, she met and married Russell L. Brenneman, and they became the first married couple to graduate from Harvard Law.

As a law clerk to the Connecticut legislature's judiciary committee, she was deeply impacted by the Supreme Court's landmark In re Gault decision (1967), which granted due process rights to juveniles. In the wake of this ruling, Connecticut's Juvenile Court expanded, and Brenneman was appointed to the court, becoming only the second female judge in the state's history.

In 1978, she became a Superior Court judge when the Juvenile Court merged with the Superior Court. Throughout her extensive career, Judge Brenneman was a highly influential advocate for children's rights. She specialized in abuse and neglect cases, working to establish stronger legal protections for children, shaping statewide protocols and case law, and training numerous judges, caseworkers, attorneys, and parents on court procedures. In 1979, she co-founded Children in Placement, an organization dedicated to monitoring and supporting children within Connecticut's foster care system.

Her contributions were widely recognized, including commendations from the Connecticut Bar Association, Radcliffe College, and Harvard Law School.

Beyond her direct legal work, Frederica S. Brenneman also inspired the popular CBS television drama "Judging Amy" (1999-2005), which was co-created by and starred her daughter, actress Amy Brenneman. The show's concept was based on Frederica's real-life experiences as a family court judge.

Frederica S. Brenneman passed away on March 15, 2021, at the age of 94.

Sources:

65 years, countless stories: Frederica Brenneman ’53 - Harvard Law School. (2023, June 16). Harvard Law School. https://hls.harvard.edu/today/65-years-countless-stories-frederica-brenneman-53/

Frederica Brenneman Obituary. (2021, March 27). Legacy. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/hartfordcourant/name/frederica-brenneman-obituary?id=6695213