Attorney Chuck Tiernan is the Democratic-endorsed candidate for District 35 Probate Judge for Branford and North Branford. His opponent on the Tuesday, Nov. 8 ballot is Al Ippolito, the Republican-endorsed candidate.

The contest will determine the successor to long-serving probate judge Frank Forgione who is retiring.

“I consider him a mentor in the way he handled himself...along with the ordinary trust and estate work he’s done for the court, he’s always protected the vulnerable people,” said Tiernan. “I would like to be able to follow his lead. Those are big shoes to fill. I’d like to try to fill those shoes as probate judge for Branford and North Branford.”

A Branford Sports Hall of Fame member, Tiernan attended Branford schools including St. Mary’s and Branford High School, co-captaining the football team. He graduated from Trinity College in 1980, where he captained football, and earned his law degree from Drake University in 1982, where he was a Drake Law Review editor. He was admitted to the Connecticut Bar in 1982 and began practicing law in 1983. Tiernan has been an attorney at Lynch, Traub, Keefe, & Errante (New Haven) for nearly 40 years.

“Since 1983, I’ve handled every type of probate case that exists in the probate court jurisdiction. I’ve handled family matters as a divorce attorney; I’ve handled criminal matters in the criminal court; I’ve represented juveniles in juvenile court... I’ve been appointed by courts to represent children in both family court and probate court. I’ve handled estates. I’ve handled adoptions. I think I am uniquely qualified to be a probate judge for Branford and North Branford,” Tiernan said.

Working with clients when addressing sensitive legal issues has helped him develop “...a certain skill set, and I have honed that skill set,” said Tiernan, adding, “I’ve been able to learn such that I can take those skills and convey them in the probate court forum.”

Applying rules and following statutes are duties of a probate judge, but that work should be tempered with compassion, said Tiernan.

“This, sometimes, is the first time an individual comes in contact with any court. When you think about the rights of children, [the] intellectually disabled, [and] the elderly, you have to bring compassion to that court and to that situation... they have to have a comfort level and know I’m here as the probate judge and I’m here to protect your rights. I think that’s something I can do, drawing on the 39-plus years of experience that I’ve had.”

In 2022, Tiernan’s peers voted him New Haven "Lawyer of the Year" of Best Lawyers (criminal defense: general practice). He also holds a Martindale-Hubbell peer review selection as having “... the highest rating in both legal ability and ethical standards,” he said.

Earlier this year, Tiernan completed his term as chairman of the State Judicial Selection Commission. He was appointed to the commission in May 2019 by Governor Ned Lamont and elected chair in June 2019.

“I think that experience really helped me understand what are the important qualities in an effective judge. I’d like to think that I would bring those same qualities to the probate court. I think you have to have compassion, common sense, and you have to have competence -- you have to know the law. I think I check all of those boxes; and for those reasons I think I would be a good judge of probate for the 35th district representing Branford and North Branford.”

Learn more about candidate Chuck Tiernan at chucktiernanforprobatejudge.com