Judge Jennings is one of the original founding partners of Zeldes, Needle & Cooper, P.C. in 1971, where Judge Jennings focused his practice on litigation and general business matters for approximately 32 years. He now re-joins ZNC as a widely-respected jurist with a wealth of knowledge in dispute resolution, developed from both his 17 years as a Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court and his more than 60 years in the practice of law. He will be focusing his practice in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR). Judge Jennings brings patience, reason, and expertise as a mediator in assisting disputing parties to reach a reasonable and acceptable resolution for all involved.
Judge Jennings was appointed as a Judge of the Connecticut Superior Court by Governor Rowland on November 13, 2003, when he began serving in the Judicial District of Stamford-Norwalk primarily assigned to criminal cases and civil litigation matters. In 2012, he was assigned to preside over the complex civil litigation docket at Stamford J.D., a division of the Connecticut Superior Court docket established to resolve some of the most challenging and intricate cases in the Connecticut court system. Judge Jennings completed his judicial career hearing civil matters and conducting judicial mediations in the Judicial District of Fairfield at Bridgeport, retiring on March 24, 2020.
Judge Jennings’s time on the bench was a continuation of a proud background of civil service. He graduated from Fairfield College Preparatory School in 1957 and earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Holy Cross College in 1961 as a member of the Air Force ROTC. Judge Jennings graduated from Yale Law School in 1964. After law school, Judge Jennings served 3 years at Kincheloe Air Force Base, Kinross, Michigan, where he was a member of the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s Corps (“JAG”). Judge Jennings acted as a Judge Advocate, a Prosecutor and Defense Attorney for service members brought before the tribunal. In his role as a JAG, Judge Jennings was responsible for all roles related to both prosecuting and defending service members subject to court martial. Judge Jennings separated from the Air force in January of 1968 as a Captain and was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal at the time of discharge.
After his time at JAG and prior to becoming a founding partner at ZNC, Judge Jennings returned to Connecticut and became an associate at Goldstein and Peck where he had been a summer associate. Judge Jennings worked on both civil and criminal litigation matters.
When Judge Jennings is not assisting attorneys and their clients in resolving complex civil matters, you can find him spending time with his wife of over 60 years, Karen, their four children, and six grandchildren.
Areas of Practice
Education
- Holy Cross College (1961)
- Yale Law School (1964)