About Trent A.
Trent A. LaLima earned a B.A. in political science from the University of Connecticut in 2010 and a J.D. from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 2013. His academic path was steady and conventional: four years of undergraduate study followed by three years of law school. The degrees set a clear course toward criminal defense and trial work.
He began his legal career in 2013 at The Law Offices of Hubert J. Santos. Early on he handled a range of matters in state courts, developing practical courtroom experience. Six years later he and a colleague formed Santos & LaLima, P.C., where he became a partner in 2019. That move marked a transition from associate work to shared leadership of a small firm.
LaLima is admitted to practice in Connecticut and has appellate admissions including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court. He has sought and maintained the credentials needed for both trial and appellate advocacy. His record shows steady involvement in cases that require courtroom readiness and an eye toward appellate strategy.
He is active in the Connecticut legal community. He has been a member of the Connecticut Bar Association since 2013 and the Hartford County Bar Association since 2016. He joined the Connecticut Criminal Defense Lawyers Association in 2015 and has been involved with the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association since 2016. In organizational roles, he served as chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Criminal Justice Section from 2019 to 2021 and was CLE Director for the Connecticut Bar Association Young Lawyers Section over the same period. He chaired the Young Lawyers Section’s Criminal Law Committee from 2017 to 2019 and acted as assistant chair of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association’s Annual Criminal Litigation Seminar from 2017 to 2020. Since 2020 he has been chair of that seminar and, beginning in 2018, he took on a co-chair role for the Hartford County Bar Association’s Criminal Committee.
Colleagues describe LaLima as steady in court and attentive in preparation. He handles criminal defense matters at trial and on appeal. His work draws on courtroom experience, an understanding of appellate procedure, and regular participation in professional education and committee work.
He practices at Santos & LaLima, P.C., where his work centers on criminal defense and appeals in Connecticut and federal courts.
