--- title: "Christopher Fitzgerald Droney | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-fitzgerald-droney-919" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Christopher Fitzgerald Droney U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit · U.S. Circuit Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit - State: National federal courts - Role: U.S. Circuit Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-06-30 ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2011-present - American lawyer and former federal judge who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 2011 to 2020, and earlier as a U.S. District Judge for the District of Connecticut from 1997 to 2011 - Judge, District Court, D. Connecticut, 1997-2011 - U.S. District Judge, D. Conn. — Nominated by President Bill Clinton (June 5, 1997), confirmed September 11, 1997; served until December 1, 2011 - U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, 1993-1997 - Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ### Education - B.A. in history, magna cum laude, from the College of the Holy Cross in 1976, and a J.D. from the University of Connecticut School of Law in 1979, where he edited the Connecticut Law Review. ### Additional information - He also serves as a mediator, arbitrator, and expert in legal disputes, and was appointed system arbitrator for the NFL in 2021. - After retiring in 2020, Droney rejoined a law firm (Day Pitney) and later founded Droney Law LLC in West Hartford. - U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Cir. — Nominated by President Barack Obama (May 4, 2011), confirmed November 28, 2011; served until June 30, 2019 (senior status) and retired January 2, 2020. - Private practice, Hartford, CT, 1979-1993 - Mayor, West Hartford, CT, 1985-1989 - Deputy mayor, West Hartford, CT, 1983-1985 - Born June 22, 1954, in Hartford, Connecticut. - Date of birth: 1954-01-01 - Notable fact: His brother, John F. Droney Jr., is a prominent Connecticut trial lawyer and former Connecticut Democratic Party chairman. - Droney authored numerous opinions in areas including intellectual property, commercial litigation, insurance, real property, ERISA, pensions, antitrust, RICO, securities, employment discrimination, labor law, environmental law, and criminal/constitutional law. - He also served on the U.S. Judicial Conference Committee for the Administration of the U.S. Bankruptcy System and was on the Federal Judges Association board. - Droney grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut, the eldest of four children. - Birth place: Hartford, CT ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/919/christopher-fitzgerald-droney/) - [Official roster](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/919/christopher-fitzgerald-droney/) - [Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit current judicial profile](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/919/christopher-fitzgerald-droney/) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/919/christopher-fitzgerald-droney/) - [Droney, Christopher Fitzgerald | Federal Judicial Center](https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/droney-christopher-fitzgerald) - [Wikidata: Christopher F. Droney](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5112304) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-fitzgerald-droney-919", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/christopher-fitzgerald-droney-919", "name": "Christopher Fitzgerald Droney | KnowJudges", "description": "Christopher Fitzgerald Droney, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. 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December 1, 2024 compilation; dated source baseline, not certification of all later amendments or circuit-specific local rules. Excludes CAAF and administrative boards. Shared baseline only, not a judge-specific preference or complete local rules inventory. Apply source exceptions, case-type limits, later amendments and case orders. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/2025-02/federal-rules-of-appellate-procedure-dec-1-2024_0.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.