How to Fill Out and File the Connecticut CHRO Appearance Form

The Connecticut CHRO appearance form is a one-page document that tells the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities who represents each party in a discrimination case. Download it from the CHRO’s forms page on portal.ct.gov, or request a copy from the Office of Public Hearings in Hartford. Once it is on file, the CHRO sends all hearing notices, mediation dates, and other correspondence to the address you listed.

Who Files an Appearance

Both complainants and respondents may appear on their own behalf or through an attorney. Conn. Agencies Regs. § 46a-54-82a grants that right to both sides.¹

Attorneys filing an appearance must be admitted to practice in Connecticut. Out-of-state attorneys and law student interns can participate only by written motion showing good cause, with a Connecticut-admitted attorney agreeing to be present at all proceedings, sign all pleadings, and take full responsibility for the representation.² The form has a separate checkbox for pro hac vice appearances; since January 1, 2017, you must attach the superior court’s written order granting that status.

One point surprises many complainants: at the public hearing stage, the CHRO’s own commission counsel typically presents the case supporting the complaint. A complainant’s private attorney may present part or all of the case only if commission counsel agrees.¹ Filing an appearance does not change that allocation.

How to Complete Each Section

The form has four substantive sections above the certification block. Each one controls how the CHRO handles the case going forward, so every field matters.

Case Information

At the top, enter the case name using the first-named complainant versus the first-named respondent (for example, “Smith v. ABC Corporation”). Then enter the CHRO case number, assigned when the complaint was first filed. The number appears on any correspondence the CHRO has already sent.

Filer Identification and Contact Details

Attorneys enter their Juris Number, the identifier assigned to every lawyer admitted to the Connecticut bar. Below that, write the name of the attorney, law firm, or professional corporation. Self-represented parties write their own name. Fill in a mailing address, phone number, fax number, and email address. Every notice about the case, including hearing schedules and mediation appointments, will go to the contact information you put here, so keep it current.

Party Representation

Checkboxes specify exactly whom you represent:

The Complainant or All Complainants, with a choice between the first-named complainant and the full group when there are several
The Respondent or All Respondents, following the same logic on the defending side
Specific parties only, with a blank line for the names when you represent some but not all parties in a multi-party case

Status of Counsel

This section tells the CHRO how your appearance fits with any existing representation. Check one:

No other counsel has appeared, meaning you are the first attorney or pro se party on your side
In addition to appearance already on file, meaning you are joining an existing legal team
In lieu of a named attorney or firm, meaning you are replacing someone already on file; write the name of the attorney or firm being replaced
Pro hac vice, with the superior court order attached

Sign and date the form at the bottom. Attorneys and pro se parties sign in the same block, and the signer’s name must also be printed or typed below the signature line.

Certifying Service on Other Parties

The bottom portion is a certification you complete after sending copies to every other party. Service is required, not optional.¹

Two checkboxes appear. Check the first if you served copies on all counsel of record, including CHRO commission counsel and any pro se parties. Check the second if your appearance replaces an existing attorney and you also served that outgoing attorney. Sign and date the certification, then list every party served by name and mailing address. If the list runs long, attach an additional sheet.

First-class mail is the standard delivery method, and hand delivery also satisfies the rule. Record the date you mailed or delivered the copies on the certification line. That date is your paper trail that everyone was notified.

Where to File the Form

Send the form to the CHRO office where the case is currently pending. During investigation and mediation, that is one of the four regional offices. Once a case reaches the public hearing stage, appearances go to the Office of Public Hearings.¹

Regional Offices

The regional office handling your case is determined by the town where the alleged discrimination occurred.³ The four offices are:⁴

Capitol Region (Hartford): 450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 2, Hartford, CT 06103, (860) 566-7710
Southwest Region (Bridgeport): 350 Fairfield Avenue, 6th Floor, Bridgeport, CT 06604, (203) 579-6246
West Central Region (Waterbury): 55 West Main Street, Suite 210, Waterbury, CT 06702, (203) 805-6530
Eastern Region (Norwich): 100 Broadway, Norwich, CT 06360, (860) 886-5703

Office of Public Hearings

Cases at the public hearing stage go to the Office of Public Hearings at 450 Columbus Boulevard, Suite 2, Hartford, CT 06103. The office can also be reached at (860) 418-8770 or officeofpublichearings@ct.gov.⁵

Once the office receives the form, staff add it to the case file, and future correspondence flows to the address you listed.

Withdrawing or Substituting Counsel

When an attorney leaves a case, Conn. Agencies Regs. § 46a-54-82a(e) controls the process. The withdrawing attorney files written notice with the Office of Public Hearings and serves copies on the client, all other parties, and any intervenors.⁶

The withdrawal notice must include:

The case name and case number
The withdrawing attorney’s name, address, phone number, fax number, and Juris Number
The name of the party the attorney represented
A certification listing every person served, the address used, and the date of mailing or delivery

The Office of Public Hearings publishes a pre-printed withdrawal form you can use instead of drafting your own notice. When new counsel is stepping in at the same time, file a fresh appearance alongside the withdrawal so the record updates without a gap. Both the outgoing and incoming attorneys should serve copies on all parties.¹

1
Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 46a-54-82a – Representation; Appearances; Withdrawals
2
Connecticut eRegulations. Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Section 46a-54-15a – Appearances Limited to Counsel Admitted to Practice in Connecticut; Appearances of Counsel From Other Jurisdictions; Law Student Interns
3
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Town List Page
4
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Contact Us
5
Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities. Office of Public Hearings Landing Page
6
Legal Information Institute. Connecticut Code of Regulations 46a-54-82a – Representation; Appearances; Withdrawals