About Patrick J.
Patrick J. Cooney built a straightforward professional path from a classroom intent to the courtroom. He earned a B.S. in Secondary Education from Villanova University in 1991 and went on to receive his J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1998. Those credentials set the stage for a career spent largely in Connecticut courts.
He began his legal career in public defense. In 1999 he served as an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in the Connecticut Public Defender's Office. That early work put him before judges and juries on a steady basis. He handled arraignments, pretrial motions and trials, and learned the practical demands of case preparation under pressure.
A few years later he moved into private practice. By 2002 he was a partner at Furey, Donovan, Tracy & Daly, PC, where he took on a range of courtroom assignments. As a partner he managed cases, mentored younger attorneys and continued to appear in trial settings. His time in both the public defender system and private practice has given him experience in procedure and advocacy across Connecticut’s trial courts.
Cooney has remained active in professional groups over the years. He has been a member of the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association since 1999. He joined the Connecticut Bar Association House of Delegates in 2016 and was seated on the CBA Board of Governors in 2017. He is also listed with the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association beginning in 2017. Those roles place him in regular contact with statewide bar activity and policy discussions.
Colleagues describe his courtroom presence as steady and pragmatic. He tends to emphasize preparation and a clear presentation of facts for judges and juries. He also spends time on procedural work—motions, hearings and preservation of issues for appeal—areas that often determine case outcomes before trial begins.
Outside the courtroom he has been involved in mentoring within his firm and participating in association meetings and committees. He has remained based in Connecticut throughout his career and has focused his practice on matters that arise in state court. He practices criminal defense and trial work in Connecticut.
