Superior Court Judge Thomas J. Saadi

DANBURY, CONN. — In July 2023, Connecticut’s General Assembly confirmed a slate of judges and magistrates that had been nominated by Gov. Ned Lamont in March 2023. Among the newly seated Superior Court judges who were sworn in on July 11, was Danbury resident Thomas J. Saadi. Twenty years ago, Saadi was a first-generation student at Western Connecticut State University who graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in History.

In a statement before the Judiciary Committee that was considering his nomination, Saadi said, “Professionally, I draw from experiences as an Agency Commissioner, former Assistant Attorney General and special prosecutor and as an Army lawyer practicing in both operational and administrative environments. I served in appointed and elected office at the municipal level for 25 years. Collectively these experiences provide me with the ability to work through complex issues, develop and apply law-based good governance solutions.”

Saadi’s service to his community began when he was still a WCSU student, serving from 1992-94 as a Danbury Inland-wetlands Commissioner. From 1994-95, he was a Danbury Zoning Commissioner. He was a Legislative Aide for House Leadership/Office of the Speaker in the Connecticut General Assembly from January 1995 through July 1996, and for several months in spring 1997. While attending Quinnipiac College School of Law, Saadi was a member of the Danbury Board of Tax Appeals from 1996-99, serving as its Acting Chairman from 1998-99. He became a Legal Intern in the Office of Special Counsel and Environment in the Office of the Attorney General from August 1997 until May 1999.

After graduating from law school in the top 15% of his class in 1999, Saadi took on the role of Research Attorney in the Connecticut Judicial District of Danbury and Geographic Area 3 before becoming the Assistant Attorney General and Special Assistant State’s Attorney in Hartford for 15 years. In May 2015, then-Gov. Dannel Malloy appointed Saadi to the role of General Counsel and Director of Legislative Affairs for the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs. Eight months later, Saadi became Chief of Staff and General Counsel before being elevated to Acting Commissioner and then Commissioner of Veterans Affairs in October 2017.

“My appreciation for the rule of law and good governance is personal,” Saadi told the Judiciary Committee. “I am a first generation Arab-American and lived in the Middle East as a youth where I saw the results of abuse of power, the mistreatment of minority groups and the chaos resulting when the fabric of once-stable communities’ fractures. I not only observed the results of the breakdown of the rule of law but experienced it as a kidnapping victim when I was a teenager, during the Lebanese Civil War when police and soldiers looked aside as I was dragged off a public bus with a pistol held to my head by militia men. I was interrogated and was luckily released after a militia officer realized that a relative of mine had militia political connections. That experience remains an indelible lesson for me on the need for adherence to the rule of law and good governance for all people, not just those with connections. My life in the Middle East was also positive, spending time with my family in a Lebanese mountain village, living in Saudi Arabia and experiencing the rich urban, agricultural, and nomadic cultures there and in North Africa. I attended school with youth from across the globe and learned to value the differences and similarities between people no matter their country of origin, race or religious beliefs.”

In addition to his career success, Saadi has concurrently served his country in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve since 2005, rising in rank and holding positions that have included First Lieutenant and Captain with the 4^th Legal Operations Detachment, and International Law Officer at the rank of Major in the 411^th Civil Affairs Battalion in the U.S. Army Reserve. He then served as Active Duty Senior Administrative Law Judge as a major with the Watervliet Arsenal, U.S. Army Material Command, and as the Chief of National Security Law for the 412^th Theater Engineer Command in the Army Reserve. Currently, Saadi serves as a Lieutenant Colonel and is Chief of Governance in the 352^nd Civil Affairs Command in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Saadi has received countless military awards, including three Meritorious Service Medals, three Army Commendation medals, three Army Achievement Medals and four Overseas Duty Training Ribbons.

His civilian honors include Connecticut Law Tribune Impact Award (2003), Korean War Veterans Association Community Support Citation (2008), Lebanon American Club Community & Military Service Award (2008), Danbury Elks Lodge Citizen of the Year Award (2012), Amos House Charitable Community Service Award (2015), New Reach Shelter-Ending Homelessness Diane Randall Leadership Award (2016), Danbury Athletic Old Timer’s Association Civic Service Award (2017), Dream Foundation Inc. Leadership Award (2018), Lebanon American of Danbury Club Person of the Year Award (2018), recipient of “Key to the City of Danbury” for Service to Community (2019), and Department of Defense Certificate of Appreciation for Leadership on Public Policy Changes positively impacting service members and their families (2021). He is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association and Greater Danbury Bar Association.

In concluding his remarks to the Judiciary Committee before his confirmation, Saadi said, “These professional and life experiences have instilled in me a core belief that it is up to those entrusted with making, interpreting and enforcing laws to do so fairly and equally for all, no matter race, ethnic origin, gender identity, creed or station in life because that is the America I took an oath to protect and defend as a lawyer, a state official and a soldier.”

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