Our Team
Jason C. Goddard
Owner
Attorney Jason C. Goddard is the owner and founder of Goddard Law Offices. His practice focuses on criminal defense, post-conviction proceedings, and child protection matters. A former public defender in New Haven, Connecticut, Attorney Goddard has represented hundreds of clients charged with both misdemeanors and serious felonies.
Attorney Goddard attended Western New England College in Springfield, MA, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 1993. He then went on to attend Roger Williams University School of Law in Bristol, RI and obtained his Juris Doctor in 2007.
Attorney Goddard’s criminal defense practice ranges from drug offenses to assaults, homicides, robberies, sexual assaults, and money laundering. He practices throughout the State of Connecticut and also has experience working with clients who find themselves involved with both state and federal criminal cases pending at the same time.
Attorney Goddard has been recognized by SuperLawyers as a rising star in 2018, 2019, and 2020. His firm has received multiple awards for excellence in client satisfaction, including receiving the Best of Hartford award in 2019 for “Best Law Firm.” He also provides instruction to other young lawyers on the practice of law, both as the owner of his firm and as a guest lecturer for the Office of the Chief Public Defender in the area of criminal practice in Geographic Area courts. He has also volunteered as a panelist for the “Camp Justice” program for local high school students.
In addition to his law practice, Attorney Goddard is a board member of The Bridge Family Center and serves as volunteer legal counsel for Sisters’ Journey. He is also a member of the Human Rights Committee for the Town of Wethersfield.
Attorney Goddard is admitted to practice law in state courts throughout Connecticut and New York. He is also admitted to federal practice both Connecticut and the Southern District of New York.
Meredith Olan
Supervising Attorney
Attorney Meredith Olan is the Supervising Attorney at Goddard Law Offices. She graduated magna cum laude in 2006 from SUNY at Buffalo, where she double-majored in International Studies and Spanish Literature and Linguistics, with a minor in French. She earned her law degree from Quinnipiac University in 2008. She has since focused her practice in the areas of Criminal Law, Post-Conviction, and Child Protection.
Attorney Olan began her career in the Hartford Public Defender’s Office and later moved to the New Haven Public Defender’s Office. While with the Public Defenders, she worked with a diverse load of criminal cases, from gun and drug offenses to domestic violence and larceny cases. Attorney Olan handled matters, including jury trials, in the GA court as well as the JD court.
After leaving the Division of Public Defender Services in 2016, Attorney Olan joined the Goddard Law Firm. She has handled a wide range of cases, including homicides, arsons, sexual assaults, robberies, embezzlement cases, serious domestic violence cases, and drug cases. She has tried cases to verdict around the state and is comfortable working with her clients in both Spanish and English. She was recently selected as a SuperLawyers Rising Star for 2020 and 2021 and was also selected as a “Top 40 under 40” award recipient by the National Trial Lawyers in the years 2020 and 2021. She has also volunteered as a panelist for the “Camp Justice” program for local high school students.
As the Supervising Attorney in the office, Attorney Olan is responsible for training and supervising all the other attorneys and paralegals in the office. She also provides instruction in training course through the Office of the Chief Public Defender designed to help young attorneys become proficient in practicing criminal law around the state. Meredith additionally leads her office in their representation of children and families in Juvenile Court, where she handles serious child protection matters as well as juvenile delinquency matters and trains other lawyers in her office to do the same.
Emma Rotondo
Senior Associate Attorney
After graduating cum laude from Boston University in 2011, Attorney Emma Rotondo returned to her native Connecticut to attend University of Connecticut School of Law. As a law student, Attorney Rotondo was one of two students selected to serve the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission in 2013. She graduated in 2014 and passed the Connecticut and Massachusetts Bar Exams that summer. Following graduation, Attorney Rotondo was employed as a Temporary Assistant Clerk in the New Britain Criminal Clerk’s Office before beginning her practice, which focuses on criminal defense and postconviction proceedings. Attorney Rotondo passionately and zealously devotes herself to defending her clients and providing them with the highest level of legal services. She joined the Law Office of Jason C. Goddard, LLC in 2020 as an associate attorney.
Darrien Boone
Associate Attorney
Attorney Boone graduated Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2016, where he was the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award. Prior to law school, Attorney Boone earned his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice at Western New England University, where he was the sole recipient of the Award for Excellence in Criminal Justice and was a member of the Dean’s List. He joined the Law Office of Jason Goddard in October 2021 and has represented clients statewide in criminal, post-conviction, and child protection matters. Attorney Boone volunteers at the Volunteer Lawyers Project and is also a member of the New York Bar Association.
Zoeann "Zoey" Day
Paralegal
Zoeann “Zoey” Day graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Communications. While at UCONN, she was a member of the Society for Equality for Women in Law as well as an active student, peer mentor, and research assistant.
In addition, she had the pleasure of participating in a congressional internship at the District Office of Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro during the summers of 2019 and 2020. While there, she worked closely with congressional case workers and communicated with constituents on behalf of the Congresswoman. Zoey is a soon-to-be law student and a paralegal in our office who works on criminal, habeas, and child protection matters.
Carlee Patterson
Paralegal
Carlee graduated from Livingstone College with a BA in both Criminal Justice and Sociology and Minors in Political Science and Spanish as the Salutatorian and student body president of her school. She is currently a first year law student at Massachusetts School of Law in Andover.
She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated, Alpha Phi Omega Fraternity Incorporated, Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society and Alpha Kappa Delta International Honor Society of Sociology.