Antoinette L. Dupont

Antoinette L. Dupont (1929-2020) was an American judge who served with distinction in the Connecticut court system. Born in 1929, she graduated from Pembroke College at Brown University, majoring in political science, and was a member of the second class of women to attend and graduate from Harvard Law School in 1954.

Dupont began her legal career as a consultant to the Eisenhower Commission on the Application of Federal Law to the Virgin Islands before entering private practice in New London. Her judicial career commenced in 1977 when Governor Ella Grasso nominated her to the Court of Common Pleas, followed by her nomination to the Superior Court in 1978. In 1983, Governor William A. O'Neill nominated her to be one of the original judges on the newly created Appellate Court.

In 1984, Chief Justice Ellen A. Peters appointed Judge Dupont as Chief Judge of the Appellate Court, a position she held until 1997, when she took senior status. She continued to serve as a judge trial referee, hearing Appellate Court cases until her retirement in 2016. Throughout her career, Judge Dupont was known for her intellect, passion for legal research, and administrative flair. She successfully guided the Appellate Court through its formative years, significantly reducing the backlog of pending appeals and establishing a consistent body of case law.

A lifelong advocate for women's rights, she chaired the Task Force on Gender Bias in the Connecticut Courts, whose groundbreaking work made the courts fairer to women. Judge Antoinette L. Dupont passed away in 2020.

Sources:

Dupont, A. L. (n.d.). Judge Antoinette L. Dupont: A Legacy of leadership and Advocacy. https://jud.ct.gov/external/supapp/inremembrance/pdfs/AntoinetteDupont.pdf