By Corrine King
Nine attorneys became part of the inaugural class of Connecticut Board Certified Residential Real Estate Specialists earlier this month. This achievement signifies they are extremely competent, experienced, and skilled in residential real estate law.
The attorneys who earned this certification are:
Edward M. Cassella, Cloutier & Cassella LLC, Old Saybrook
Descera Daigle, Goldman Gruder & Woods LLC, Norwalk
Gregory F. DeManche, DeManche Law Group, LLC, Avon
Michael W. Epright, Epright Law LLC, Haddam
Monika A. Gradzki, The Gradzki Law Firm LLC, New Britain
Jay N. Hershman, Baillie & Hershman PC, Cheshire
Daniel K. Readyoff, Allingham Readyoff & Henry LLC, New Milford
Michael D. Rybak, Guion Stevens & Rybak LLP, Litchfield
Anthony D. Santoro, The Law Offices of Anthony D. Santoro, Middlebury
To achieve this five-year certification, each of these nine attorneys accumulated more than 36 hours of continuing legal education activities in residential real estate law, received five or more references from other attorneys or judges knowledgeable regarding their practice and competence, and passed a written exam. All specialists are in good standing with each bar they have been admitted, have practiced law in Connecticut for at least five years, and dedicate 25 percent or more of their total practice to the area of residential real estate law.
“After years of hard work on the part of our Standing Committee and our Examining Committee, I am proud to announce our first group of specialists in residential real property law. I am sure these nine individuals are the first of many who will be recognized in the years to come,” said Edward Rosenblatt, chair of the Standing Committee on Residential Real Estate specialization. “Special thanks to go to the Connecticut Bar Association and its staff, the officers and members of the Real Property Section, and all of the dedicated people who have worked on our committees since 2003 to make this day happen.”
The Real Property Section of the Connecticut Bar Association (CBA) launched the Residential Real Estate Specialist Certification program in July of 2019 to help the public identify attorneys who have demonstrated expertise in the area of residential real estate law based on their competence, experience, and skills. The Legal Specialization Screening Committee and the Rules Committee of the Connecticut Superior Court approved the CBA’s certification program in December of 2018 to raise the level of practice in this area of law.
For more information regarding the Board Certified Residential Real Estate Specialist and the certification program, visit ctbar.org/RRESpecialist or contact the program’s staff advisor, Phanny Cahill, at pcahill@ctbar.org
About the Connecticut Bar Association
The Connecticut Bar Association, founded in 1875, is the preeminent organization for lawyers and the legal profession in Connecticut. With its 70+ sections and committees, the CBA produces over 300 programs each year, including the Connecticut Legal Conference. The CBA is a non-profit member service organization dedicated to advancing the legal profession and the principles of law and justice.
The Real Property Section promotes the educational and professional objectives of the CBA within the field of real property law; provides a forum for the exchange of information and ideas relative to real property issues, concerns, and transactions, both residential and commercial; and welcomes consideration and discussions of issues related to conveyancing, mortgages, land use, title insurance, and other matters of interest to the real estate bar.
