Cramer & Anderson has a long tradition of sharing hands-on legal experience with law school students on summer break, and this year the firm is delighted to welcome two outstanding Summer Associates, Alison Hechler and Bronwyn Woolhouse.
Alison and Bronwyn are both J.D. candidates entering their second year at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Both possess stellar credentials and share a deep devotion to empowering individual clients and communities, leveraging the law one case at a time to shape a more just world.
“Going into law school, I knew I wanted to be an advocate for people,” Alison said, while Bronwyn writes on LinkedIn that she looks forward to “being able to contribute meaningfully to clients and communities through empathetic, effective legal support.”
Advancing Civil Rights and Local Advocacy: Alison Hechler
Alison brings a commitment to public service to her role at Cramer & Anderson. Prior to beginning studies at UConn Law, she built a foundational understanding of state-level policy and systemic advocacy while serving as a Capitol Intern with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO). She was stationed in the Regional Office’s Intake Department in Hartford, where she met with members of the public to help write complaints they would be submitting to the state regarding employment and public accommodation-based discrimination.
This early experience solidified her desire to navigate the legal system as an instrument for individual empowerment—and her interest in going to law school was also sparked by a desire to learn more about trusts and estates and elder care with a focus on health law issues and concerns. Her favorite classes so far—property and Constitutional law—have added complexity and nuance to Alison’s journey on the path to becoming the first lawyer in her family.
Her passion to advocate for people and the richness of the human interaction that helps such legal advocacy succeed are the threads tying everything together.
At UConn Law this year, Alison and her partner, Meredith Veilleux, won the Wesley W. Horton 1L Moot Court Competition after dedicating countless hours to analyzing and debating complex issues surrounding the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Alison argued the court’s jurisdiction, while Meredith focused on the First Amendment right of access to the court’s judicial opinions. Alison was also invited to join the Connecticut Moot Court Board.
As a Summer Associate—the program runs from June 1 to July 10—Alison is based primarily in the firm’s flagship New Milford office, collaborating on projects for partners across a variety of practice areas.
Beyond her academic and policy pursuits, Alison has a background as a competitive figure skater. Her commitment to the sport was so intensive that, while her family is based in Newtown, Conn., she and her mother maintained an apartment during Alison’s high school years in Newton, Mass., so she could train under the Mitchell Johansson Method based in Revere, Mass. Her dedication paid off, including competing in the New England Regional Championships over multiple years.
Navigating Governance and Community Leadership: Bronwyn Woolhouse
Bronwyn, who was born in Toronto, raised in New Jersey, and holds dual U.S.-Canadian citizenship, has a robust background in institutional governance, compliance, and community-level administration.
A graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, she distinguished herself as a leader within student government, serving as the Secretary of the Alma Mater Society (AMS). In this capacity, Bronwyn managed complex administrative procedures, oversaw organizational elections, and navigated intricate internal judicial policies and compliance frameworks—experiences that provided her with a mature understanding of how rules and structural procedures directly impact individuals.
Her work in student advocacy and bachelor’s degree with honors in political science sparked a natural transition to the study of law, where she is expanding a strong interest in immigration and family law—honed in part by her full-time work as a Business Immigration Senior Paralegal for a commercial law firm in Manhattan before entering law school.
Bronwyn has found collaborating with Immigration Law Partner Lisa Rivas in the firm’s Danbury office very gratifying. Taking the Federal Indian Law course at UConn Law and being poised to participate this coming year in the Asylum & Human Rights Clinic—which functions essentially as a small, specialized public-interest law firm operating out of the law school—have heightened her passion for helping individuals and families navigate complex legal systems with clarity and compassion.
Living in West Hartford as a full-time Connecticut resident, Bronwyn spends time in Canada whenever she can, which included a trip in late May to Montreal for the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada.
Cramer & Anderson’s Summer Associates program is coordinated by Attorney Rivas and Partner Joseph Mortelliti, both based in the Danbury office and reachable at (203) 744-1234.
About Cramer & Anderson
Cramer & Anderson provides sophisticated legal services, close to home, with regional offices in New Milford, Litchfield, Danbury, and Ridgefield. For more information, see the website or call the flagship office in New Milford at (860) 355-2631.