Judge William Bright Jr. is the new chief judge of the Connecticut Appellate Court.

Connecticut Supreme Court Chief Justice Richard Robinson elevated Bright to the position Friday.

Bright, 57, is set to take the reins as chief judge on Aug. 1. The Columbia resident is set to replace Judge Alexandra DiPentima, who is taking senior status effective July 31 and who will continue to hear appellate cases on a part-time basis.

"I really want to continue the approach that Judge DiPentima has shown as chief judge in terms of how collegial the court is run," Bright said. "This is a very collaborative body, and I want to keep it that way."

'Gold standard'

Connecticut Appellate Court Judge Ingrid Moll has known Bright for more than 20 years. The two worked together from 2001 to 2004 as lawyers at Cummings & Lockwood. They also worked together on the Connecticut Superior Court bench.

"He cares so much about building a consensus, whether it's being on a panel of three deciding a case, or whether it concerns administrative policy," Moll said Friday. "He is also very open to bouncing ideas off of. We happen to have neighboring chambers, and he is a constant source of guidance for me and others."

Elliot Solomon, now a trial judge referee, was a Superior Court judge for 25 years. He has known Bright for 30 years.

"With Bill, it's all about the team approach. It's not about him. It's about the team," Solomon said Friday. "He is extremely bright and insightful. He is a great listener during oral arguments and an insightful questioner. He knows where the hot buttons are in an issue, and gets to them pretty quickly. You must be prepared when you go in front of him."

Moll agreed.

"He is well-liked by everyone." Moll said. "I think this is going to be a real smooth transition to him being chief judge. He is not only hardworking, but probably the most even-keeled and even-tempered judge I know. His judicial temperament is the gold standard."

Bright was in private practice before being appointed to the Connecticut Superior Court in 2008. He became a Connecticut Appellate Court judge in November 2017. He has served as chief administrative judge for the civil division and as the administrative and presiding judge for the Tolland/Rockville Judicial District.

A huge Disney and Philadelphia Phillies baseball fan, Bright said Friday he wanted to be a lawyer since the age of 12 because "I always liked school debates." Bright said his immediate goal as chief judge would be to keep the court as it is today.

As chief judge, Bright will be responsible for, among other things, deciding which judge writes decisions and will be responsible for seeing cases are moved along through the process.