Malloy Nominates Andrew McDonald To State Supreme Court

Andrew McDonald

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy has nominated Andrew McDonald, his chief legal counsel, to the state Supreme Court.

“McDonald will replace Justice Lubbie Harper, Jr., who reached the mandatory age of retirement for state judges last month.  When confirmed, he will serve as the first openly gay appellate jurist in Connecticut’s history,” the governor’s office said in a release Thursday morning.

The statement also said:

McDonald has more than two decades of experience as an attorney in Connecticut.  For most of his legal career, McDonald served as a litigation partner for Pullman & Comley, LLC, where he chaired the firm’s appellate practice.  Additionally, he served as the director of legal affairs and corporation counsel for the City of Stamford from 1999 to 2002, when Governor Malloy served as mayor of the city.  He currently serves as general counsel to the Office of the Governor for the State of Connecticut.

“Having had the opportunity to work alongside Andrew McDonald in several capacities over the years, including both as a lawyer and as a public servant, I am convinced that he will be an excellent addition to our state’s highest court and will serve the people of Connecticut well when he is confirmed to the bench,” Governor Malloy said.  “In each of the roles he has served, Andrew has proven to have an exceptional ability to understand, analyze, research and evaluate legal issues.  He has undertaken his legal work with a focus on giving back extensively to his community and a commitment to the equal rights of all residents.  He will be an exceptional justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court.”

“I’m immensely grateful to the governor for the honor he has shown me through this nomination,” McDonald said.  “Honoring the law and serving the people of this state have been the focus of my professional life, and I will be humbled by the opportunity to continue to do both on the Supreme Court if confirmed by the General Assembly.”

In addition to his experience as an attorney, McDonald held several elected positions in the state, including as state senator of the 27^th district from 2003 to 2011, where he served as deputy majority leader and senate chairman of the Judiciary Committee for eight years.  He served on the Stamford Board of Finance from 1995 to 1999, including two years as chairman, and as a member of the Stamford Board of Representatives from 1993 to 1995. McDonald graduated from Cornell University in 1988 and received his law degree, with honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1991, where he was the managing editor of the Connecticut Journal of International Law.  He lives in Stamford with his husband Charles Gray.