Attorney Killed in Hiking Tragedy Was 'Righteous, not Self-Righteous'
Thomas Ullmann died Friday, April13, from a fall while hiking the Adirondack Mountains in New York.
April 16, 2018 at 06:47 PM
4 minute read
The former New Haven public defender and Connecticut Law Tribune editorial board member who died in a tragic hiking accident last Friday in New York has been described as a strong mentor and “righteous but never self-righteous” steward of the law.
Thomas Ullmann had been hiking in New York's Adirondack Mountains when he took a fatal fall into a ravine, numerous sources said. The 67-year-old outdoor enthusiast had recently retired in August 2017, but had remained a visiting clinical lecturer at Yale Law School and a member of this publication's advisory editorial board.
Reaction to Ullmann's sudden death reverberated through the state's legal community over the weekend. Katie Mesner-Hage, an attorney with Koskoff Koskoff & Bieder in Bridgeport and fellow member of the Tribune's advisory board, fondly recalled working with him in different capacities.
“He helped me win a probable cause hearing for a 16-year-old kid accused of murder,” Mesner-Hage said. “Watching and working with Tom was the highlight of my legal education by a mile. He was righteous, but never self-righteous. His work would have made most people hardened and cynical, but Tom was not most people. He had endless reserves of empathy, conviction and good humor.”
New Haven Attorney Norman Pattis, a friend of 25-plus years, said Ullmann exemplified all the qualities of a great defense attorney.
“If I ever found myself in harm's way, I'd want Tommy Ullmann by my side,” Pattis said. “He was courageous, cunning and loyal. The New Haven Public Defender's Office was the best criminal defense law firm in the state, primarily because of Tommy.”
Pattis said Ullmann led by example and was regarded as “the standard. He knew how to defend his client, and I can't think of anyone in the country who did it as well as he did.”
Pattis said he approached Ullmann about five weeks ago about working for his firm, but Ullmann told Pattis he was having too much fun in retirement.
“He loved the wild, loved the outdoors and nature,” Pattis said.
Ullmann was also very active with the Tribune board, authoring numerous editorials and attending the board's regular dinner meetings to review and approve contributed pieces.
Among Ullmann's closes friends on the board were co-chairwoman and state Department of Children and Families Commissioner Joette Katz and Dwight Merriam, a partner with Robinson & Cole in Hartford.
“There were two people on the board who I was the closest to and they were David King, who passed away last year, and Tom,” Merriam told the Connecticut Law Tribune Monday. “The three of us frequently exchanged draft editorials before taking them to the board. He has a passion for not just law, but also writing.”
“He will remain, for all of us, a touchstone of the kind of dedication we all should have,” Merriam said. “He was exactly what a lawyer should be. He represented his clients zealously, no matter who the client, and he did it well.”
Merriam said he'll miss his conversations with Ullmann, but most of all his friendship.
“Many people did not know that Tom was a great cook,” Merriam said. “You missed out on something if you never experienced his paella. He specialized in making that seafood dish. That was his favorite.”
Katz said Ullmann leaves a phenomenal professional legacy, but also a personal one. “He had a wife of close to 45 years and two fabulous kids. He loved life and had a million hobbies,” she said. “He just embraced life.”
The Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association recognized Ullmann in 2011 as a “champion of liberty.” In 1995, he received an award for distinguished service to the bar from the Connecticut Law Tribune.
Colleagues said Ullmann was firmly committed to clients' rights, regardless of the circumstances, and he stuck to his convictions. Among the professional responsibilities he accepted was representing convicted Cheshire home invasion murderer Steven Hayes, a job that brought its share of controversy and hate mail.
Mesner-Hage recalled the case drawing the attention of at least one online blacklist, which informed Ullmann he would “burn in hell” for representing Hayes. She also recalled Ullman's response.
“He gave one of his belly laughs and said it was an honor.”
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