An alumna of the Department of Political Science, Philosophy, and Geography at Eastern Connecticut State University recently passed the Connecticut Bar Exam and now works as an appellate attorney. Ruth Burke ‘20 currently serves in the Legal Services Appellate Unit of the Connecticut Public Defender’s Office. 

“I represent those who are unable to afford a private appellate attorney and who have already gone to trial and been convicted of a crime,” said Burke of her role as an attorney. 

According to Burke, passing the Connecticut Bar Exam is a rigorous process that consists of a 12-hour, two-day test. In order to fully secure a spot, participants must then undergo a test of integrity. 

“The first day consists of essay and open-ended questions, while the second day features 200 multiple-choice questions,” said Burke. “It’s a closed-book exam that covers numerous areas of law, and a score of 266 out of 400 is required to pass.” 

She continued: “Candidates must also pass a comprehensive character and fitness background check to demonstrate that you have a good moral character to practice law. After successfully completing the bar exam and passing character and fitness, you are sworn in as an attorney by a judge, and only then are you admitted to practice law.” 

In her current role, Burke handles direct appeals and habeas appeals, which review the fairness of a client’s trial or prior habeas case. Her work primarily involves writing legal briefs — formal reports presented to higher courts that outline claims of error in the trial court proceedings.  

After submitting briefs, Burke argues these claims before the appellate court or the Connecticut Supreme Court and answers questions from the judges or justices. 

“As an appellate attorney, most of my time is spent conducting comprehensive legal research and writing in my office,” she said. “Most if not all of my clients have been convicted and are incarcerated during the pendency of their appeal, and I conduct my meetings within the correctional facilities in the rooms designated for legal visits.” 

Burke accredited her tenure at Eastern for preparing her for the job. “Studying political science and philosophy at Eastern developed my critical thinking skills,” she said. “Engaging with different viewpoints, disciplines, and experiences helped vary my input to analyze issues, think critically, and come to my own conclusions.” 

She continued: “My job is to challenge the decisions of trial courts and to identify the court's legal errors. This requires me to argue against a person of power, a judge, to argue for a different (and usually unpopular) outcome. 

“Furthermore, the courses offered at Eastern helped me to reflect on my own thinking by challenging my own thought patterns to identify any bias or fallacious thinking/arguments, a skill that improves the quality of my arguments.”