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Oct 29, 2026
The New Haven County Bar Association has honored our partner John F. Wynne, Jr. with its Yale Sappern Civility Award, which recognizes a New Haven area lawyer or court staff member whose everyday conduct makes the courthouse a kinder, more helpful place.
Everyone at Buckley Wynne & Parese was glad to hear it, though nobody here was surprised. John has practiced law in Connecticut since 1984, and the qualities this award recognizes are the same ones his clients have described in their thank-you notes to our office for years.
What Is the Yale Sappern Civility Award?
The Yale Sappern Civility Award honors a New Haven area attorney or court staff member who shows the kind and helpful qualities that defined Yale Sappern’s career. The New Haven County Bar Association (NHCBA) created it to encourage civility in the courthouse and across the local legal community, and the bar notes on its awards page that the honor isn’t necessarily given every year. It’s reserved for years when the right person stands out.
Who Was Yale Sappern?
Yale Sappern served as Administrative Supervisor of the Family Division of the Superior Court, Judicial District of New Haven, from 1966 to 1997. That’s 31 years in the part of the court system where people often show up on the worst days of their lives, in the middle of a divorce, a custody fight, or a dispute over support, and the bar association created this award to honor the way he treated everyone who came through that division.
The Nine Qualities Behind the Award
The NHCBA measures every honoree against the attributes Attorney Sappern showed to the people he worked with and encountered. The recipient:
- Encourages new staff and attorneys.
- Is patient with everyone.
- Is courteous to clients, attorneys, the court, and staff.
- Gives others a sense of importance by listening and offering guidance.
- Sees substance over formality.
- Strives for excellence.
- Is candid and honest with the court and with colleagues.
- Puts the importance of others ahead of the importance of self.
- Helps colleagues without drawing attention to himself or herself.
How John Wynne Practices Civility
John Wynne earned his J.D. with highest honors from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1984, finished an M.B.A. with highest honors at the UConn School of Business the same year, and was admitted to the Connecticut bar that year as well. In the 42 years since, he has represented injured people and families across the state, and he was recognized by Connecticut Super Lawyers for 2025 and 2026.
He also sits on the American Arbitration Association’s Panel of Arbitrators. Arbitrators are neutrals, and the work depends on the same traits the Sappern award describes: hearing both sides out, focusing on what matters in a dispute instead of procedural theater, and being candid with everyone in the room.
Clients take notice. One wrote that John “listens with empathy and understanding,” which closely matches what the bar association asks of its honoree. John has put it in his own terms, too: “We understand that protecting families and representing victims of serious injuries is an honor and a privilege.” You can read more about his background on his attorney profile.
Why Civility Matters When You’ve Been Hurt
Civility in a personal injury practice directly affects the person being represented. Most injury claims resolve through negotiation rather than a jury verdict, and negotiation runs on credibility. When judges, clerks, and defense lawyers know an attorney will be straight with them, conversations about a case can stay focused on the medical records and the losses instead of on posturing, and that matters to a family waiting for bills to be paid.
Patience matters on the client side, too. People who call our office after a crash or a fall are usually in pain, missing work, and fielding calls from an insurance adjuster who wants a recorded statement. A lawyer who slows down, explains what comes next, and treats the client’s questions as important gives that person back some control over a situation that took it away.
Buckley Wynne & Parese: Your Connecticut Personal Injury Law Firm
We’re proud of John, and prouder still that the people who see his work up close, the lawyers and court staff of New Haven, chose him for this prestigious award.
If you’re reading this because you were hurt in a crash, a fall, or on the job and you’re trying to decide who to trust, you deserve a lawyer who’ll pick up the phone and be straight with you about your case (including the parts that are hard to hear).
Every client here works with an experienced trial attorney, and our office has served Connecticut families for more than 140 years. Contact our firm today for a free consultation, available 24/7 at 1-800-445-2278.
