Dana M. Hrelic

Dana M. Hrelic is chair of the Appellate practice at Pullman & Comley. She is a highly experienced appellate and commercial litigation attorney who handles state, territorial, and federal appeals involving constitutional law, complex litigation and business law, family law, juvenile law, personal injury, administrative law, civil procedure, probate law, and criminal law.

Dana has represented clients before the Connecticut Appellate Court and Connecticut Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Third, Federal, and D.C. Circuits, the Supreme Court of the United States, and the Supreme Court of the U.S. Virgin Islands. She also has experience working on appellate matters before the Eleventh Circuit. Over the course of her career, Dana has argued nearly 50 appeals before state and federal appellate courts and served as counsel in many more, handling complex and high-stakes matters across a broad range of substantive legal areas. She has represented amicus curiae clients before the Supreme Court of the United States, including the American Association for Justice and the Virgin Islands Bar Association. She also regularly represents amicus curiae clients before the Connecticut Supreme Court, including the Insurance Association of Connecticut and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, on matters involving significant issues of statewide importance.

In her trial litigation practice, Dana represents clients and consults with trial counsel on civil, family, juvenile, criminal, and complex litigation matters in both state and federal courts. She assists clients at every stage of litigation, from pre-suit counseling through post-judgment proceedings, with particular emphasis on matters that present significant appellate issues or a likelihood of appeal.

Dana is an active member of numerous professional organizations and has held leadership roles within the Connecticut Bar Association, the American Counsel Association, and the American Bar Association. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary and as Connecticut State Delegate to the ABA House of Delegates. She previously served as the Second Circuit Representative on the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary and as Chair of the ABA Young Lawyers Division. Dana is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and the Connecticut Bar Foundation.

A frequent author and speaker, Dana co-authored Connecticut Practice Book Annotated, Connecticut Juvenile Law, and A Practical Guide to Evidence in Connecticut, for which she authored the chapter on reputation evidence. She regularly presents on appellate practice and procedure, legal ethics and professional responsibility, diversity in the profession, legal education, and innovation in the practice of law. Dana has been recognized by her peers for her appellate practice, including being named to The Best Lawyers in America® for Appellate practice and recognized as a Connecticut Super Lawyer in Appellate practice.

Office

Professional Affiliations

Connecticut Bar Association - House of Delegates Member (2023-2025); Co-Chair, COVID-19 Task Force (2020); Co-Chair, Law Schools & Law Students Subcommittee, COVID-19 Task Force (2020); Board of Governors, Assistant Secretary-Treasurer (2017-2018); Chair, Young Lawyers Section (2016-2017); Executive Committee Member, Appellate Advocacy Section (2012-present)

American Bar Association - Vice Chair of the ABA Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary (2025-present), Second Circuit Representative (2021-2024); Connecticut State Delegate (2022-present); Member, ABA House of Delegates (2018-present); Member, ABA Nominating Committee (2022-present); Treasurer, ABA YLD Fellows Board (2023 - 2025); Chair, Young Lawyers Division (2017-2018), overseeing 200,000 members; ABA Day Connecticut State Captain (2020-2022); Member, Young Lawyers Division Council (2011-2021); Member, Judicial Division Council (2019-2021); Governing Council Member, Center for Innovation (2016-2017); Member, Commission on the Future of Legal Services (2014-2016); YLD Assembly Parliamentarian (2014); Member, Task Force on the Future of Legal Education (2012-2014); District #2 Representative, Young Lawyers Division (2011-2013)

American Counsel Association – Member, Board of Directors (2020-2025)

Oliver Ellsworth American Inn of Court

Virgin Islands Bar Association - Member

American Bar Foundation - Fellow

Connecticut Bar Foundation - Fellow

Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers - Member 

Board of Trustees, UConn Law School Foundation (2015-2017)

Community Involvement

Hartford Promise - Mentor to two Bulkeley High School (Hartford) Students (2018-2019)

The Hartford Chorale - Secretary, Board of Governors (2010-2014); Singing Member (2010-2011)

Honors & Recognitions

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the Appellate Practice area since 2024

Selected to the Connecticut Super Lawyers list in the Appellate Practice area since 2024

Recipient of the 2022 Hartford Business Journal "40 Under Forty" award 

ABA Advocate of the Month, April 2021

Selected to the Connecticut Super Lawyers Rising Star in the Appellate Practice area, 2013-2023

Named a New England Super Lawyers Rising Star in the Appellate Practice area, 2013-2023

Virgin Islands Bar Association Amicus Award, 2018

Finalist, Connecticut Law Tribune 2017 Attorney of the Year Award

ABA, Young Lawyers Division: Star of the Year, 2013-2014; Star of the Quarter, February 2013

CBA, Young Lawyers Section Public Service Award, 2012-2013

Recognized as a New Leader in the Law by the Connecticut Law Tribune, 2012

Notable cases argued or substantially worked on include:

• 307 White Street Realty, LLC v. Beaver Brook Group, LLC, 216 Conn. App. 750 (2022) (for Plaintiff Appellant)
• Lehane v. Murray, 215 Conn. App. 305 (2022) (for Plaintiff-Appellant)
• In re Ivory W., 342 Conn. 692 (2022) (for Respondent-Appellant)
• R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. v. Brown/Gerald, 76 V.I. 656 (V.I. 2022) (for Plaintiff-Appellees) 
• Ranger American of the V.I., Inc. v. Balboni, __ U.S. __, 140 S.Ct. 651 (2019) (for Respondent)
• Russell v. Richardson, et al., 779 F. App’x 963 (3d Cir. 2019) (for Appellants, the U.S.V.I. Judicial Branch and its employee)
• Brathwaite v. Xavier, 71 V.I. 1089, 2019 WL 3287069 (V.I. 2019) (for Appellant)
• Kelly v. Kurtz, 193 Conn. App. 507 (2019) (for Appellant/Cross-Appellee)
• Hirschfeld v. Machinist, 181 Conn. App. 309 (2018) (for Appellee)
• In re Egypt E., 327 Conn. 506 (2018) (for Appellant)
• Kantorowski, et al., v. Saint Vincent’s Medical Center, et al., A.C. 38385 (2017) (for Appellant) (matter settled after oral argument)
• Lewis v. Clarke, __ U.S. __, 137 S.Ct. 1285 (2017) (for Amici Curiae Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and American Association for Justice)
• Territory of the Virgin Islands v. United Industrial, Service, Transportation, Prof’l & Govn’t Workers of North America Seafarers Int’l Union, On Behalf of Ernest Bason, 575 U.S. 957 (2015) (for Petitioner, Government of the U.S.V.I.) (cert. denied presumably for mootness after Mr. Bason died)
• Commonwealth of Puerto Rico v. Sanchez Valle, et al., __ U.S. __, 136 S.Ct. 1863 (2016) (for Amicus Curiae Virgin Islands Bar Association)
• In re Egypt E., 322 Conn. 231 (2016) (for Appellant)
• ProFoot, Inc. v. Merck & Co., Inc., 663 F. App’x 928 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (for Appellant)
• Western Dermatology Consultants, P.C. v. VitalWorks, Inc., 322 Conn. 541 (2016) (for Appellant)
• In re Gabriella A., 319 Conn. 775 (2015) (for Appellant)
• Hirschfeld v. Machinist, 151 Conn. App. 414 (2014) (for Appellee)
• In re Elvin G., 310 Conn. 485 (2013) (for Appellant)
• Yeager v. Alvarez, 134 Conn. App. 112 (2012) (for Appellant)

News

Speaking Engagements

Publications

Press Releases

Presentations

•  June 2021 - Virgin Islands Bar Association - Featured as a panelist for Midyear Meeting program: "ABA Panel - The Practice, Post Covid19 - The Practice Forward Report"
• March and April 2021 - ABA Day Digital 2021: A Presentation for State Captains - Served as a presenter and panelist before the 2021 class of State Captains in preparation for ABA Day Digital 2021
• January 2021 - Chase College of Law, Northern Kentucky University: Gender & The Law Class - Served as a guest lecturer in a class taught by Prof. Michelle Coughlin, Esq. (Founder of MothersEsquire).
• December 2020 - Virgin Islands Bar Association - Served as a presenter for CLE: “Appellate Motion Practice in the V.I. Supreme Court.”
• September 2020 - Connecticut Bar Association - Served as a presenter for “AAA Roadside Assistance for the Legal Profession: A-dvances in Technology, A-rtificial Intelligence, and A-lternative Fee Arrangements.”
• August 2020 - National Conference of Bar Presidents - Featured as a panelist in “Governance in Transition Workshop” at the NCBP Annual Meeting.
• June 2020 - Virgin Islands Bar Association - Served as a presenter for CLE: “Virgin Islands Appellate Practice.”
• October 2019 - Connecticut Supreme Court "On Circuit" Program - Served as a moderator for the Connecticut Supreme Court’s “On Circuit” Program at the University of Hartford.
• March 2019 - Virgin Islands Bar Association - Served as a presenter for “Making Your Individual Development Plan.”
• March 2019 - Connecticut Bar Association - Served as a presenter for CLE: “Advanced Appellate Practice: Federal Procedure and Novel State Issues.”
• December 2018 - Virgin Islands Bar Association - Served as a presenter for CLE: “Strategic Use of Amicus Curiae Briefs in Appellate Litigation.”
• May 2018 - American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division - Served as a moderator for CLE: “Domestic Violence During Pregnancy.”
• January 2018 - South Carolina Bar Association Young Lawyers Division - Served as a presenter for CLE: “Diversity in the Legal Profession.”
• November 2017- Virginia State Bar Young Lawyers Conference - Invited to speak to the Board of Governors.
• October 2017 - American Bar Association, Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section - Served as presenter for Fall Meeting Town Hall:  "TIPS Leaders of Tomorrow."
• October 2017 - Canadian Bar Association, National Young Lawyers Section - Invited to speak with the Executive Committee in Toronto, Canada.
• March 2017 - MS. JD Conference - Served as presenter for "The Practice Popularity Contest."
• March 2017 - American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Mountain Summit - Invited to speak to attendees on behalf of the American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division.
• September 2016 - Yale Law School, Appellate Law Class - Served as a guest lecturer in the class taught by Justice Barry Schaller.