Allison Near

Allison Murray Near devotes her practice primarily to civil litigation, representing individuals and businesses in a variety of cases, including business disputes and employment-related issues. She also practices in the areas of civil rights and written advocacy.

Ms. Near grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. She graduated cum laude from Colgate University in 1997, and received her law degree from Northeastern University School of Law in 2004. During law school, Ms. Near served as a teaching assistant, teaching legal research and writing to first year law students. She also participated in moot court, and was active in the law school clinical programs, where she represented victims of domestic violence, benefits recipients, and inmates at hearings before the Massachusetts Parole Board.

Following graduation, Ms. Near returned to Tennessee to serve as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Charles D. Susano, Jr., of the Tennessee Court of Appeals. Subsequently, she worked for a mid-size firm in Knoxville where her practice was concentrated in personal injury and worker's compensation. Ms. Near relocated to Connecticut in 2006, joining a firm in Milford, Connecticut, where she practiced primarily in the areas of commercial litigation, employment and civil rights.

Prior to law school, Ms. Near worked in the publishing industry and as a mental health counselor at a Boston-area psychiatric hospital.

Ms. Near is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, where she is active in the association's Pro Bono Committee, the New Haven County Bar Association, the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, and the New Haven Inns of Court. She also serves as a special public defender, handling cases for the Connecticut Office of the Public Defender.

Ms. Near resides in New Haven. In her free time, she enjoys camping and fish collecting with her husband. She is also a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club.