Alinor Sterling
- Attorney
Contact:
Areas of Practice
- Appellate Practice
- Medical Negligence
- Product Liability
- Personal Injury
At Koskoff, we all share a passion for using the law to improve the lives of our clients. The dedication that we bring to each case is what makes us unique.
Profile
Alinor believes the law is a powerful weapon in the fight against injustice, and she has devoted her career to that fight.
She represented nine families of victims of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in a landmark case against the Remington Arms Company, the manufacturer of the assault rifle used to carry out the attack. Her work led to the families' settlement of the case for every dollar of available coverage, $73 million, and the right to publicly share Remington's internal documents. The case has been compared to the first tobacco cases, in which documents were obtained that were later used to hold cigarette companies accountable for the public health crisis they had created.
Alinor also represents Sandy Hook families in a suit against e-commerce mogul and internet “newsman” Alex Jones for his false claims that the Sandy Hook shooting was a "hoax" and that it was staged by actors. In the fall of 2022, Koskoff lawyers Chris Mattei, Josh Koskoff, and Alinor tried this case, resulting in a judgment of roughly $1.5 billion in favor of the clients.
Alinor’s appellate wins include Soto v. Bushmaster, the landmark case in which the Connecticut Supreme Court allowed Sandy Hook families' case to proceed against Remington; Lafferty v. Jones, in which the Connecticut Supreme Court affirmed severe sanctions against Jones for abusive litigation conduct; Munn v. The Hotchkiss School, in which a $41.5 million damages verdict in favor of an injured student was affirmed; and Gagliano v. Danbury Hospital, confirming a $9.6 million verdict against the hospital based on its residents’ negligence.
Alinor formerly served President of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association (CTLA). She co-chairs CTLA's Rules and Amicus committees. She is a board member of Public Justice and is a board member of the International Festival of Arts and Ideas in New Haven. She serves on American Association for Justice's Legal Affairs and Amicus committees, as well as the Connecticut Bar Association's Appellate Advocacy Committee.
Background
Bar Admissions
- Connecticut, 1996
- U.S. District Court District of Connecticut, 1997
- U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, 1998
- U.S. Supreme Court, 2019
Education
- University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Law, Los Angeles, California
- Honors: Order of the Coif
- Graduate Fellowship in Research, Moscow
- Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton, New Jersey
- B.A. - 1989
Results
Representative Cases
- Soto, et al. v. Bushmaster, et al., 331 Conn. 53, 202 A.3d 262 , 2019
- Gagliano v. Advanced Specialty Care, P.C., 329 Conn. 745, 189 A.3d 587 , 2018
- Munn v. Hotchkiss School, 216 Conn. 540, 165 A.3d 1167 , 2017
- DiLieto v. County Obstetrics & Gynecology Group, P.C., 316 Conn. 790, 114 A.3d 1181, 2015
- Dickerson v. Pincus, 154 Conn. App. 146, 105 A.3d 338, 2014
- Rosa v. Lawrence & Memorial Hosp., 145 Conn. App. 275, 74 A.3d 534, 2013
- Wisniewski v. Town of Darien, 135 Conn. App. 364 , 135 Conn. App. 364, 42 A.3d 436, 2012
Leadership
Honors and Awards
- 2025 New England Best Lawyers, “Lawyer of the Year” in Appellate Practice
- 2018-2024, Selected to Super Lawyers
- 2023 Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association Riscassi-Koskoff Civil Justice Award
- 2023 Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year
- 2019 Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice
- 2018 Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Former President, 2024-2025
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Rules Committee, Co-Chair
- Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association, Amicus Committee, Co-Chair
- American Association for Justice, Member, Amicus Curiae Committee
- Connecticut Bar Association, Member, Appellate Advocacy Committee
- New Haven County Bar Association, Member
- Greater Bridgeport Bar Association, Member
Pro Bono Activities
- International Festival of the Arts, Board Member
- Public Justince - Board Member