Old Saybrook, Connecticut, attorney Paul Gozzi, who has represented respondents in more than 100 probate matters primarily involving involuntary conservatorships and guardianships for people with intellectual disability, has received the 2026 Glenn E. Knierim Pro Bono Award.
The Office of the Probate Court administrator and the judges of the Connecticut Probate Assembly recognized Gozzi and his exceptional service at their annual meeting on April 22 at the Connecticut Supreme Court in Hartford.
Saybrook Probate Court Judge Jeannine Lewis, who presented the award to Gozzi praised his exemplary pro bono service and said he embodies the spirit of compassion and advocacy in the probate court system.
Gozzi called the work he’s done in the probate court system the most meaningful of his entire career. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Quinnipiac College and his law degree from Temple University School of Law in 1982. He has practiced law for more than 40 years.
Before focusing on probate matters, Gozzi served as a general law practitioner in the areas of personal injury, family law, criminal and real estate matters. He retired from general practice four years ago.
“When I first began appointing Attorney Gozzi in probate matters, he refused to accept payment through the Probate Administration Fund,” Lewis said. “It took several attempts to convince him that the amount of work we would be requesting from him would be substantial, and so he eventually acquiesced. His heart for service has been evident since the inception of his time in probate service.”
“What sets Attorney Gozzi apart is his courteous, encouraging, respectful demeanor and the practical approach he takes with each of his clients,” Lewis said.
“When I think of an attorney who would be an ideal mentor for new attorneys entering into probate law, Gozzi sets the standard,” Lewis said. “He consistently puts in the necessary time, expertise and heart into his clients.”
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. 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, Knierim worked to improve adoption and guardianship laws, created the first Code of Probate Judicial Conduct and set mandatory educational requirements for Probate Judges.
