Firm News

Greetings, Wiggin Alumni!

Wiggin alm Alison Weir was recently appointed as the new Executive Director of the Connecticut Veterans Legal Center — an organization that provides legal services to veterans, helping them cope with an array of problems, including homelessness and mental illness.

Alison has had an extraordinary and wide-ranging career. She jokes that she gets bored easily, but it’s clear that “service” is what connects the various leadership positions she has held. She served for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force in many positions, including speech writer to the Air Force Chief of Staff. She also served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Alison joined Wiggin and Dana in 2008. As part of the litigation department, Alison worked on insurance litigation, export control matters, and defense contracting work. Thinking back on her work at the firm, she commented on the quality of the attorneys, noting in particular how honorably and respectfully they dealt with each other, opposing counsel and others.

Some of Alison’s pro bono work at the firm led to significant career moves. Her work for the National Diaper Bank Network, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that families in need have access to diapers for their children, led her to join the Network — ultimately becoming General Counsel and Chief of Policy for the organization. Alison also did pro bono work for veterans through the Veterans Project of the Connecticut Bar Association. Her interest in helping veterans ultimately led to her current position as the head of CVLC. In that position, Alison is working with another Wiggin alum — paralegal Nikki Kelsey who worked for many years as part of the firm’s appellate practice.

For more information about the work of the CVLC, click here.