For Vanessa Roberts Avery, who recently stepped down as US Attorney for the District of Connecticut and joined McCarter & English, pursuing a legal career or even attending law school was not something she had dreamed about as a child, but rather a seed her mother planted in her head while she was attending Yale University.
In an interview with Law360 Pulse, Vanessa discussed her legal journey, reflected on her time as US attorney, and talked about her return to private practice at McCarter & English.
When asked what her proudest moment was as US Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Vanessa said she feels very proud of what was done in the office terms of collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement to focus on reducing crime. She noted, “The number of homicides in Waterbury, Hartford, New Haven and Bridgeport have all gone down from 2022 through 2024, and so has the number of nonfatal violent crimes.”
Reflecting on her return to private practice after leaving the US attorney’s office, Vanessa said, “I look forward to thinking about ways that the private sector might be able to work in concert with some of our folks in the public sector to address some of the new threats coming down the pipeline.” She is excited to help “clients to be in a position where they can make those connections.”