Connecticut Legal Services, Inc.

06/25/2026

“Let the public service be a proud and lively career”
John F. Kennedy, Jr.

June 23 is International Public Service Day, a day to recognize those in community welfare and public interest careers.

Established in 2003 by the United Nations, the day
- honors the value of public service
- Highlights its contribution to a community’s development
- recognizes the work of public servants, and
- encourages young people to pursue careers in the public sector

Public servants address the needs of members within a community through positions in health and social services, public safety, education, government, and, of course, civil legal aid. This work is vital to stable and equitable societies.

CBF is proud to help fund Connecticut’s civil legal aid network so that attorneys at legal aid organizations can uphold individual civil rights for low-income individuals struggling with housing instability, domestic violence, and other life-altering challenges.

Civil legal aid is a public service that leads to a public good, and the results resonate far beyond those who receive help. As CBF reported last fall with the “Economic Impact of Civil Legal Aid” report, justice pays it forward. Every dollar of public funding for civil legal aid yields nearly three dollars in economic activity.

CBF funds 12 legal aid organizations in Connecticut, all of which help people with limited income find solutions to their legal problems. We thank them for their public service and are proud to help fund this important work.

CBF Legal Aid Grantees:
- Center for Children's Advocacy
- The Children's Law Center of Connecticut
- Connecticut Fair Housing Center
- Connecticut Legal Rights Project
- Connecticut Legal Services, Inc.
- The Connecticut Veterans Legal Center
- Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc.
- Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)
- Lawyers for Children America-CT
- New Haven Legal Assistance
- Open Communities Alliance
- Statewide Legal Services of CT

06/22/2026

CLS is proud of its very own Attorney Sean Eaton-Robb, who argued before the Connecticut Appellate Court on June 3rd in an appeal from a summary process judgment of eviction against a pro se tenant. Attorney Eaton-Robb argued on the appellant’s behalf for reversal of the trial court on the grounds that it erred, as a matter of fact and law, in finding that the landlord’s unilateral imposition of a rent increase of about 55% was fair and equitable, and entered@ a judgment of eviction.

06/03/2026

Join our team‼️
Connecticut Legal Services (CLS) is hiring an attorney specializing in Elder and Consumer Law for its Willimantic office.

CLS seeks applicants who will use their legal training to improve the lives of low-income people
and further CLS’ holistic, client-centered mission. CLS lawyers represent families and individuals in administrative hearings and in state and federal courts, as well as advocating in various settings for changes in laws and systems to benefit low-income communities.

View job full description and how to apply ⬇️
https://ctlegal.org/get-involved/join-our-team/

05/18/2026

Congratulations to Matthew Dillon and Jim Haslam (not pictured) who were honored as new fellows of the CBF’s James Cooper Fellows Program at the 2026 CBF Annual Reception on May 14th at The Society Room in Hartford,

05/14/2026

05/14/2026

CONNECTICUT LEGAL SERVICES NAMES EVAN K. BUCHBERGER AS LITIGATION AND ADVOCACY DIRECTOR

Middletown, CT – Connecticut Legal Services (“CLS”) is proud to announce the selection of Attorney Evan K. Buchberger as its next Litigation and Advocacy Director, effective immediately.

Attorney Buchberger steps into this role following his tenure as Managing Attorney of CLS’s New Britain office, where he oversaw the organization’s Immigration Practice and supervised attorneys and legal assistants serving clients throughout the region with a wide range of other civil matters. His leadership helped expand access to justice for immigrant families navigating complex legal systems, while guiding CLS attorneys litigating on behalf of clients in the state and federal courts of Connecticut. A graduate of the University of Rochester and the University of Connecticut School of Law, he simultaneously has served on the Board of Directors of Journey Home, a Hartford-based nonprofit committed to ending homelessness in the greater Hartford and Central Connecticut region, currently as its Vice Chair.

“I am deeply honored to step into this position at Connecticut Legal Services,” said Buchberger. “Since joining the organization three years ago, it has been a distinct privilege to work with such talented and dedicated legal advocates as work at CLS. I look forward to continuing to work with, and support them, as we continue to work to ensure that access to justice isn’t reserved for a select few, but to everyone in our state.”

With a career in civil trial and appellate litigation, where he successfully litigated on behalf of clients involved in complex matters, including issues of employment, intra-corporate disputes, and insurance coverage, Attorney Buchberger brings a deep breadth of experience to this leadership position. Over more than a decade of practice, he has represented individuals and businesses before the state trial and appellate courts of Connecticut and Massachusetts, the U.S. District Courts for both states, as well as the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal for the First and Second Circuits.

In this role, Attorney Buchberger will lead CLS’s litigation strategy and advocacy efforts across the state on behalf of the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Contact:​Nilda Havrilla
​Deputy Director
​860-357-9311
​[email protected]

03/25/2026

Way to go Jane Kelleher, Managing Attorney of the CLS Housing Unit! On March 2, 2026, Attorney Kelleher skillfully argued at the Connecticut Supreme Court on that issue of whether a Fair Rent Commission could properly intervene in a summary process action.

03/07/2026

March 6, 2026


Nilda Rodriguez Havrilla Appointed Deputy Director of Connecticut Legal Services

Middletown, CT – Connecticut Legal Services (CLS) proudly announces the selection of Attorney Nilda Rodriguez Havrilla as its new Deputy Director. Attorney Rodriguez Havrilla becomes the first Latina to serve in this leadership role in the organization’s history.

Attorney Rodriguez Havrilla brings more than two decades of legal experience and a deep commitment to access to justice for low-income individuals and families across Connecticut. She has served at CLS since 2004 and most recently held the position of Litigation and Advocacy Director, a role she has served in since 2019.

Throughout her tenure, she has represented clients in eviction defense, housing discrimination matters, federal False Claim Act cases, and an appeal before the Connecticut Appellate Court. A graduate of Trinity College and Northeastern University School of Law, she has been widely recognized for her leadership and service, including her appointment by Governor Ned Lamont to the Connecticut Advisory Council on Housing Matters, her role as Co-Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Legal Aid and Public Defense Committee, and her service on the United States District Court Federal Advisory Committee.

“Connecticut Legal Services has been my professional home for more than 20 years,” said Attorney Rodriguez Havrilla. “I am honored to step into the role of Deputy Director and to continue advancing our mission to ensure that low-income residents have access to justice, safe housing, and economic stability.”

As Deputy Director, Attorney Rodriguez Havrilla will help guide CLS’s statewide advocacy strategy, strengthen partnerships, support staff development, and advance systemic initiatives that address poverty and injustice.



For more information, please contact:
Natalia Moreno
Connecticut Legal Services
860.306.1586 – [email protected]

02/23/2026

02/03/2026

JOIN OUR TEAM‼️

CLS seeks to fill an attorney position with an initial assignment in Family Law, Willimantic Office, covering cases in the Windham and Tolland Judicial Districts.

CLS seeks applicants who will use their legal training to improve the lives of low-income people and further CLS’ holistic and client-centered work.

View Job Full Description & How to Apply here⏬

https://ctlegal.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/WI-Family-Attorney-Posting-2026.pdf