Day: March 31, 2026

Judge David Hopper’s talk, “Probate Law in Connecticut,” used vivid stories—from colonial resistance to modern disputes over cryonics and unconventional adoptions—to make an often-misunderstood court feel human and accessible. He traced the probate court’s roots to the 1662 Royal Charter and Connecticut’s tradition of locally elected, unrobed judges, then illustrated how those traditions shape emotionally charged cases in his Greenwich courtroom involving missing persons, contested inheritances, and unusual last wishes. Emphasizing continuity and community through figures like long-serving clerk Martha Weir and photos of his predecessors, Hopper framed his role as providing compassionate, accessible justice amid changing social norms and legal puzzles.