Hamden probate and personal injury attorney Christopher Donlin was so inspired, he decided to write a letter.

The subject was Connecticut Probate Judge Frank Forgione's dedication, fairness, compassion and resolve since the COVID-19 outbreak.

In his letter to the Connecticut Law Tribune, Donlin said he noticed the judge going out of his way to help lawyers and litigants affected by the upheaval.

"In this challenging time, he has really been a positive and inspiring figure in the legal community," Donlin wrote. "Judge Forgione once said to me that the judges should be the 'titans of the law,' and I feel like he has answered the bell, and is exactly that for his commitment."

Forgione, 62, is the probate judge for Milford-Orange Probate Court. He works out of the Branford-North Branford Probate Court, and is the administrative judge for the New Haven Regional Children's Probate Court.

One day in March, Donlin noticed the judge was filling in for a fellow jurist in Meriden. The lawyer had a long day, packed with travel, which made him realize the judge had had a similar schedule.

Donlin had gone to Milford in the late morning, and driven to Meriden at 2 p.m., before heading to Branford about two hours later for unrelated cases. He noticed Forgione had presided over them all.

"Things might not have gone smoothly that day, but because of Frank, they did," said Donlin, a solo practitioner who has known the judge for about nine years. "Helping out other judges is nothing new to him. This was on a Friday, and not every probate judge wants to work on a Friday afternoon. But he was professional and happy to do so."

Then on April 10, at about 5:30 p.m., Donlin noticed something else: an end-of-day, preweekend call that Forgione could have easily pushed to the following Monday, but didn't.

"It was late on Good Friday, when most people were not working. But here he was on a call with me representing a conserved party who passed away, the nursing home and a funeral home director," Donlin said. "That really impressed me. He didn't have to do that. He has taken the responsibility of keeping the courts open seriously."

Judge Philip Wright Jr. of Wallingford Probate Court agreed.

"What stands out with Frank is that he is compassionate, intelligent and thoughtful," Wright said. "His compassion comes through. You see that when you deal with him."

But Forgione, who said he was grateful for the letter to the Connecticut Law Tribune, was quick to say that his efforts reflected those of his colleagues, and that all 54 probate judges juggle similar schedules.

"Everyone should get the credit. I need to give credit to all my colleagues. It's all of us—not just me," he said, adding that Probate Court Administrator Beverly Streit-Kefalas "has been a tremendous leader during these unprecedented and difficult times."