Two recent graduates of UNH Franklin Pierce are already making an impact in their adopted home state of Connecticut.
Audrey Trace, JD ’21, was recently named chair of the Connecticut Bar Association’s (CBA) Women in Law Committee, while Dylan Harriger, JD ’22, will serve as chair of the organization’s Sports and Entertainment Law Committee. In addition, the two alumni are engaged to be married in the fall of 2025.
In his role with the CBA, Harriger will be responsible for scheduling socials, setting up Continuing Legal Education (CLE) opportunities on legal issues related to sports and entertainment (S&E), and developing relationships within the S&E Committee. He says he was prepared well for his new position thanks to his involvement at UNH in a variety of leadership roles. Harriger served as president of the UNH Sports & Entertainment Law Society for two years, was elected as 2L class governor, coached the Moot Court Trademarks team, and served as editor-in-chief for the UNH Sports Law Review, which he founded with Professor Mike McCann.
“Through these leadership positions,” says Harriger, who recently began a job as an associate at Littler Mendelson in New Haven, Connecticut, focusing on labor law, “I developed important time management, people management, writing, speaking, marketing, and business development skills.”
Trace, who is an IP associate specializing in trademark and copyright law at Leason Ellis (a firm co-founded by UNH Franklin Pierce graduate Edward Ellis) in White Plains, New York, previously served the Connecticut Bar Association as co-chair of the IP Committee. Her new post with the CBA will involve chairing the Young Lawyer Executive Board for the CBA’s Women in Law section. Trace’s responsibilities will include planning a CLE program for members as well as organizing monthly events for membership. She credits her time at UNH Franklin Pierce with encouraging an environment of collaboration and student involvement.
“My mentor-professors also encouraged me to get involved with the local bar association and legal groups after law school,” Trace says. “This experience and advice…allowed me to build relationships in the community right away.”
Both Harriger and Trace have maintained close ties to the UNH Law community. Harriger remains in touch with Professor McCann, who is “readily available to discuss career decisions, life, and the world of sports law,” and is also grateful for the guidance of Dean Megan Carpenter and Director of Admissions Trish Morris. Trace credits Morris along with Professors John Orcutt, Sophie Sparrow, and Alexandra Roberts with teaching her about areas of the law that “remain relevant in my career,” adding, “I found the education and advice invaluable when starting my legal career and planning for the future.”
