FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 25, 2025

Hamden Attorney Christopher Donlin Receives Statewide Award for his Pro Bono Work

(HARTFORD, CT) - Hamden Attorney Christopher Donlin has received the esteemed 2025 Glenn E. Knierim Pro Bono Award from the Office of the Probate Court Administrator and the judges of the Connecticut Probate Assembly at their annual meeting on April 23 at the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford. 

Cheshire Probate Judge Matthew J. Jalowiec, who presented Attorney Donlin with the award, said he first met Donlin 14 years ago when he was a young, wide-eyed optimist and has watched him grow and develop the ability to handle intricate cases while experiencing both the high and lows of working as a pro bono attorney in the Probate Courts.

“Chris is not only a strong advocate, but he is also a fighter,” Judge Jalowiec said. “He advocates with passion, zeal and most importantly, compassion. He retains that optimism today despite all the world has thrown his way.” 

Attorney Donlin is the founder of the firm Donlin Law, which focuses on personal injury and probate law. Previously, he worked as a defense attorney for a major Connecticut insurer. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2008.

Established in 2012, the Glenn E. Knierim Pro Bono Award is given annually by the Probate Assembly and the Office of the Probate Court Administrator to recognize the exemplary pro bono service given by an attorney in the Probate Court system. This award celebrates individuals like Attorney Donlin who embody the spirit of compassion and advocacy. 

It is named to honor the late Judge Glenn E. Knierim, who was Connecticut’s longest-serving probate court administrator from 1973-1989. He was also Simsbury’s probate judge for 32 years. As probate court administrator, Judge Knierim worked to improve adoption and guardianship laws, created the first Code of Probate Judicial Conduct and set mandatory educational requirements for Probate Judges.

Connecticut’s 54 Probate Courts and six Regional Children’s Probate Courts assist thousands of low-income seniors to age in place in their own homes; supervise the care and finances of individuals who cannot care for themselves; support individuals with mental health conditions to live in the community instead of more restrictive environments; and help thousands of children stay in familiar surroundings with family and friend guardians rather than being placed in foster care. Probate Courts save taxpayers more than $2 billion each year by avoiding more costly state services. For more information about Connecticut’s Probate Courts, visit ctprobate.gov.