Title 51 — Title 51: Courts

Secs. 51-76 and 51-76a. Messengers and assistant messengers: Of Court of Common Pleas; of the Circuit Court. Sections 51-76 and 51-76a are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 7616; March, 1958, P.A. 27, S. 59; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 19; P.A. 74-183, S. 45, 280, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 77, 681.)

Secs. 51-77 to 51-79. Filling of vacancies. Retired messengers may be continued in service. Duties of messengers of the Supreme and Superior Courts. Sections 51-77 to 51-79, inclusive, are repealed, effective June 13, 2023. (1949 Rev., S. 3139d, 7712, 7713; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 96; …

Sec. 51-80. Admission. The Superior Court may admit and cause to be sworn as attorneys such persons as are qualified therefor, in accordance with the rules established by the judges of the Superior Court. The judges of the Superior Court may establish rules relative to the admiss…

Sec. 51-80a. Regulation of foreign legal consultants. The judges of the Superior Court may make rules regulating foreign legal consultants. (P.A. 91-324, S. 4.)

Sec. 51-81. Investigation of qualifications of applicants for admission to the bar. (a) For the purpose of investigating the moral qualifications or general fitness of any applicant for admission to the bar of the state upon motion or examination, the chairperson of the State Bar…

Sec. 51-81a. Certificate of registration. Fee. Renewal. Section 51-81a is repealed. (June, 1971, P.A. 8, S. 37; 1972, P.A. 223, S. 31.)

Sec. 51-81b. Occupational tax on attorneys. Collection procedure. State lien against real estate as security for tax. Interest on unpaid tax. Attorneys who are not liable for tax. Administration. (a) Any person who has been admitted as an attorney by the judges of the Superior Co…

Sec. 51-81c. Program for use of interest on lawyers' clients' funds accounts. Applicability to entities that establish certain accounts to receive loan proceeds from a mortgage lender. (a) A program for the use of interest earned on lawyers' clients' funds accounts is hereby esta…

Sec. 51-81d. Client Security Fund. (a) The Superior Court, in accordance with rules established by the judges of the Superior Court, may (1) establish a Client Security Fund to (A) reimburse claims for losses caused by the dishonest conduct of attorneys admitted to the practice o…

Secs. 51-81e to 51-81g. Reserved for future use.

Sec. 51-81h. Escrow agreement not invalid when attorney-at-law, law firm or agent is escrow holder. (a) For the purposes of this section: (1) “Escrow agreement” means a written or oral agreement under which money, documents, instruments or other property is delivered by a party t…

Secs. 51-82 and 51-83. Admission to examination of attorneys admitted to practice in other states. Examination of veterans for admission. Sections 51-82 and 51-83 are repealed. (1949, S. 3119d; 1957, P.A. 528; 597; 1963, P.A. 642, S. 43; P.A. 82-248, S. 163.)

Sec. 51-84. Attorneys subject to rules. (a) Attorneys admitted by the Superior Court shall be attorneys of all courts and shall be subject to the rules and orders of the courts before which they act. (b) Any such court may fine an attorney for transgressing its rules and orders a…

Sec. 51-85. Authority and powers of commissioners of the Superior Court. Each attorney-at-law admitted to practice within the state, while in good standing, shall be a commissioner of the Superior Court and, in such capacity, may, within the state, sign writs and subpoenas, take …

Sec. 51-85a. Requirements and procedures re remote acknowledgment by commissioner of the Superior Court. Prohibitions on use of remote acknowledgment for certain records. (a) As used in this section: (1) “Communication technology” means an electronic device or process that: (A) A…

Sec. 51-86. Soliciting persons to institute actions for damages. (a) A person who has not been admitted as an attorney in this state under the provisions of section 51-80 shall not solicit, advise, request or induce another person to cause an action for damages to be instituted, …

Sec. 51-87. Solicitation of cases for attorneys. (a) Any person who (1) pays, remunerates or rewards any other person with something of value to solicit or obtain a cause of action or client for an attorney-at-law or (2) employs an agent, runner or other person to solicit or obta…

Sec. 51-87a. Limitations on written communications to prospective clients. (a) A lawyer shall not send, or knowingly permit to be sent, on behalf of himself, his firm, his partner, an associate or any other lawyer affiliated with him or his firm, a written communication to a pros…

Sec. 51-87b. Attorneys and persons affiliated with attorneys prohibited from referring persons to real estate brokers, salespersons, or mortgage brokers or lenders, for fee or commission. Penalties. (a) No attorney-at-law admitted to practice within this state or any person affil…

Sec. 51-88. Practice of law by persons not admitted as attorneys. Exceptions. (a) Unless a person is providing legal services pursuant to statute or rule of the Superior Court, a person who has not been admitted as an attorney under the provisions of section 51-80 or, having been…

Sec. 51-88a. Practice of law by persons not admitted as attorneys. Real estate closings. (a) Notwithstanding any provision of the general statutes, no person shall conduct a real estate closing unless such person has been admitted as an attorney in this state under the provisions…

Sec. 51-89. State marshal or constable not to act as attorney in court. No state marshal or constable shall appear in court as attorney. (1949 Rev., S. 7968; P.A. 00-99, S. 105, 154.) History: P.A. 00-99 replaced reference to sheriff and deputy sheriff with state marshal, effecti…

Sec. 51-89a. Complaint and hearing required for suspension or disbarment. Section 51-89a is repealed. (P.A. 77-194, S. 1, 2; P.A. 82-248, S. 75; P.A. 86-276, S. 14, 15.)

Sec. 51-90. State-Wide Grievance Committee. Appointment, qualifications and terms of members. There shall be a State-Wide Grievance Committee which shall consist of fifteen persons appointed by the judges of the Superior Court. At least four of the members shall not be attorneys-…

Sec. 51-90a. Powers and duties of State-Wide Grievance Committee. In addition to any other powers and duties set forth in sections 51-90 to 51-91b, inclusive, the State-Wide Grievance Committee shall have the power and duty to: (1) Adopt rules for procedure not inconsistent with …

Sec. 51-90b. Grievance panels. Appointment, qualifications and terms of members. (a) The judges of the Superior Court shall appoint one or more grievance panels in each judicial district, each consisting of two members of the bar who do not maintain an office for the practice of …

Sec. 51-90c. State-Wide Bar Counsel. (a) The Chief Court Administrator shall appoint an attorney to act as State-Wide Bar Counsel, who shall serve full-time, and such number of attorneys to act as assistant bar counsel as are necessary. Any vacancy in the position of State-Wide B…

Sec. 51-90d. Grievance counsel and investigators. Powers and duties of grievance counsel. (a) The Chief Court Administrator shall appoint attorneys to serve as grievance counsel for grievance panels and shall appoint one or more investigators. The investigators shall be under the…

Sec. 51-90e. Filing of complaint alleging attorney misconduct. Referral to grievance panel. (a) Any person may file a written complaint alleging attorney misconduct. A grievance panel may, on its own motion, initiate and file a written complaint alleging attorney misconduct. A co…

Sec. 51-90f. Investigation and determination by grievance panel of attorney misconduct. (a) Each grievance panel shall investigate with the assistance of the grievance counsel assigned to such panel any complaint referred to it by the State-Wide Grievance Committee or State-Wide …

Sec. 51-90g. Review of panel's determination by subcommittee or State-Wide Grievance Committee. (a) The State-Wide Grievance Committee may designate at least three members of the committee, including at least one-third who are not attorneys, to serve as a reviewing subcommittee f…

Sec. 51-90h. Decision of State-Wide Grievance Committee. (a) Within fourteen days of the issuance to the parties of the proposed decision, the complainant and respondent may submit to the State-Wide Grievance Committee a statement in support of, or in opposition to, the proposed …

Sec. 51-91. Compelling testimony of witnesses. Contempt. (a) Any person may be compelled by subpoena signed by competent authority to appear before the State-Wide Grievance Committee, a subcommittee of said State-Wide Grievance Committee or a grievance panel to testify in relatio…

Sec. 51-91a. Hearing re eligibility to continue practice of law for attorney convicted of felony. Order. Suspension. Appointment of trustee. (a) After sentencing an attorney who has been convicted of a felony, the court shall hold a hearing on the issue of the eligibility of such…

Sec. 51-91b. Applicability of grievance procedures. Transfer of pending matters. (a) The provisions of sections 51-90 to 51-91a, inclusive, shall apply to all grievance complaints filed on or after July 1, 1986. (b) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the term o…

Sec. 51-91c. Posting of signs concerning attorney grievance procedures. The Chief Court Administrator shall cause to be prominently displayed in each geographical area court facility and judicial district courthouse a sign setting forth the duties of the State-Wide Grievance Comm…

Sec. 51-92. Grievance committees; fees and expenses. Section 51-92 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 7645; P.A. 78-280, S. 2, 127; P.A. 82-248, S. 78; P.A. 85-456, S. 10, 11.)

Sec. 51-93. Reinstatement of attorneys. The superior court for any judicial district may, upon hearing, after written application and such notice as the court may prescribe, reinstate as an attorney-at-law any person resident in such judicial district who has been suspended or di…

Sec. 51-94. Evidence in proceedings to suspend, displace or remove attorneys-at-law. In any proceeding for the suspension, displacement or removal of an attorney-at-law or to investigate the character, integrity or professional standing of such attorney, evidence tending to show …

Sec. 51-94a. Limitation on liability of attorney appointed to inventory files and protect interests of clients of inactive, suspended, disbarred, deceased or resigned attorney. No attorney appointed by the court pursuant to rules of the Superior Court, or pursuant to the court's …

Sec. 51-105. Former justice may perfect records; copies. Any former justice of the peace who has been removed from office for other cause than a conviction of crime may perfect his records from the files, as occasion may require, and give certified copies thereof, which shall be …

Sec. 51-106. Judgments of justices of the peace may be recorded. Section 51-106 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 7561; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 199.)

Sec. 51-107. Attested copies of judgments legal evidence. Each attested copy of any judgment of a justice of the peace which was recorded in the record book of the town where the action was brought, with a certificate of the town clerk that it has been recorded and with the seal …

Sec. 51-108. Files and minutes admissible as evidence. In the absence of a formal record, the files and minutes of a justice of the peace in any action heard and determined by him shall be admissible as evidence in all actions brought on such judgment after his decease or removal…

Secs. 51-109 and 51-110. Justice not reelected; pending matters. Compensation of justices. Sections 51-109 and 51-110 are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 3616, 7564; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 204.)

Sec. 51-95. Qualification and certification of nominated justices of the peace. (a) Each person nominated to be a justice of the peace shall take the official oath on or before the first Monday of January following his nomination or, if nominated to fill a vacancy, within ten day…

Sec. 51-95a. (Formerly Sec. 51-193a). Justice of the peace not to transact judicial business. Judicial business shall not be transacted by any justice of the peace. (1959, P.A. 28, S. 44; February, 1965, P.A. 187, S. 1; P.A. 74-183, S. 71, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 83, 681; P.A. 82-24…

Sec. 51-95b. Qualification and certification of appointed justices of the peace. (a) Each person appointed to be a justice of the peace pursuant to section 9-184c, before commencing the duties of such office, shall take the official oath and shall furnish his signature to the cle…

Secs. 51-96 to 51-104. Justice court, generally. Sections 51-96 to 51-104, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 7550, 7551, 7553–7559; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 204.)

Secs. 51-111 to 51-126. Trial justices and prosecuting grand jurors. Sections 51-111 to 51-126, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 7566–7576, 7578, 8736–8739; 1957, P.A. 13, S. 98; 574; 651, S. 21; March, 1958, P.A. 27, S. 51; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 204.)