PARTNER
Phone: (860) 522-8338
Fax: (860) 728-0401
E-mail: jdube@hortonshieldsknox.com

EDUCATION
B.A. Harvard College, 1964
J.D. University of Connecticut School of Law, 1970

ADMISSIONS
State of Connecticut, 1970
United States District Court for the District of Connecticut, 1970
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 1971
United States Supreme Court, 1975

Practice
State and Federal Appellate Litigation; Consulting for Trial Litigation; Constitutional Law; Insurance Law; Representing Attorneys in Professional Disciplinary Matters.

Attorney Horton prevailed in the US Supreme Court in the landmark Kelo v. New London condemnation case, 543 U.S. 469 (2005). He also succeeded in a multi-million dollar appeal sustaining the validity of a pre-nuptial agreement in Friezo v. Friezo 281 Conn. 166 (2007). In addition he won the reversal of a $32 million verdict in Glazer v. Dress Barn, 274 Conn 33 (2005) and a $3.5 million in Archambault v. Soneco/Northeastern, Inc., 287 Conn, 20 (2008). He has argued over 100 cases to the Connecticut Supreme Court.

Attorney Horton started his law career as the law clerk to Chief Justice House of the Connecticut Supreme Court (1970 to 1971). Building on that experience, he has become one of the premier appellate lawyers in the state of Connecticut. The list of cases on which he appears as counsel, either at argument or on the brief, spans 32 years and numbers in the hundreds. He has participated in some of the most notable cases in the state, including the breakout school finance case, Horton v. Meskill, 172 Conn. 615 (1977). He continues to work for the betterment of the Connecticut school systems through Sheff v. O’Neill, 238 Conn. 1 (1996).

Attorney Horton’s appellate practice covers a wide variety of legal issues, from constitutional matters, to domestic relations, insurance, personal injury and land use. In addition, Attorney Horton consults with counsel at the trial level, in complicated legal matters or in preparation for possible appellate issues.

In addition to his active appellate practice, Attorney Horton represents attorneys in professional disciplinary matters. He has given testimony as a witness on ethical and malpractice matters. He was the Chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Professional Ethics Committee from 1997 through July 1, 2007.

Attorney Horton’s involvement in the legal community extends well beyond his practice at HSK. He is the author of The History of the Connecticut Supreme Court, published in 2008 by West Publishing Co. He is a strong advocate for the Connecticut Constitution. In fact, he wrote the only published book on the Connecticut Constitution, and published the debates of the 1818 constitutional convention for the first time since they took place. Both projects reflect his strong interest in the history of the Connecticut judiciary, and are critical to the interpretation of the Constitution.

Attorney Horton is also interested in helping educate the public and his colleagues on issues of pressing legal concern. He became President of the American Counsel Association in August of 2008. He frequently lectures to the Bar on appellate and ethics issues. He is a prolific writer on both appellate and constitutional issues and is often called upon by the print and television press for comment on breaking legal issues.

Attorney Horton's book, The History of the Connecticut Supreme Court, was published in 2008 by Thomsen/West. The book, a labor of love by Attorney Horton, details the Connecticut Supreme Court, its justices and their opinions, beginning in 1784 up to the present.

Some of his notable cases since 1996 include:

Archambault v. Soneco/Northeastern, Inc., 287 Conn. 20 (2008)
Kelo v. New London, 545 U.S. 469 (2005)
Lindholm v. Brant, 283 Conn. 65 (2007)
Friezo v. Friezo, 281 Conn. 166 (2007)
Glazer v. Dress Barn, Inc., 274 Conn. 33 (2005)
Murdock v. Croughwell, 268 Conn. 559 (2004)
Zahringer v. Zahringer, 262 Conn. 360 (2003)
LePage v. Horne, 262 Conn. 116 (2002)
Craine v. Trinity College, 259 Conn. 925 (2002)
Wagner v. Clark Equipment Co., Inc., 259 Conn. 114 (2004)
Ramos v. Town of Vernon, 254 Conn. 799 (2000)
Higgins v. Karp, 243 Conn. 495 (1998)
State v. Wilson, 242 Conn. 605 (1997)
Sheff v. O'Neill, 238 Conn. 1 (1996)
Sachs v. Sachs, 60 Conn. App. 337 (2000)