Ellen Ash Peters dies at 94, was 1st woman to serve as chief justice of CT Supreme Court

Ellen Ash Peters was the first woman appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1978. She became the first woman to serve as chief justice six years later.

Emily Knapton

Apr 18, 2024, 4:17 PM

Updated 13 days ago

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The first woman to serve as chief justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court has died at 94 years old.
Ellen Ash Peters was the first woman appointed to the state Supreme Court in 1978. She became the first woman to serve as chief justice six years later.
She emigrated to the U.S. with her parents and studied at Yale Law School, graduating in 1954.
Peters was a law professor at Yale until her appointment to the Supreme Court.
Gov. Ned Lamont called Peters a trailblazer who authored hundreds of opinions, many of which continue to have a lasting impact.
Peters was involved in the landmark Sheff v. O'Neill decision that extended civil rights to Connecticut schools, stating that the state has an obligation to provide school children with equal educational opportunities.
Peters retired in 2000.


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