WESTPORT–Westport’s long-serving Town Attorney Ira W. Bloom has been chosen to receive an award of excellence from the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA), which represents attorneys in the United States and Canada.

Bloom is a partner at Berchem Moses, with offices in Milford and Westport. According to Berchem Moses, Bloom will receive the Marvin J. Glink Private Practice Local Government Attorney Award at IMLA’s Annual Meeting on Oct. 17, 2025, in New Orleans.

Westporter since 1978

“I am greatly honored by this,” Bloom said. “It has been very gratifying for me to combine my private practice with public sector law, particularly in Westport, where I have lived with my wife, Karen, since 1978, where my children grew up, and where some of my grandchildren now live. I am always so impressed by the dedication and expertise of the municipal officials with whom I have worked. And my colleagues at the law firm provide me with great support.”

With decades of experience in land use and municipal law, Bloom’s candidacy for the IMLA award was backed by letters of recommendation from municipal clients, including several first selectmen, as well as fellow local attorneys and the IMLA District Representative for the tri-state area, according to an announcement from his firm.

Outstanding service

The honor recognizes a range of attributes and accomplishments, according to IMLA’s website. In addition to excellence, the site says, the award “seeks to recognize a private law practitioner who has provided outstanding service to the public and who possesses an exemplary reputation in the legal community, the highest of ethical standards, and who revels in maintaining a life that balances a passion for professional excellence with the joy of family and friends. In addition, the award seeks to recognize a person who exhibits qualities of openness and humility, coupled with a sincere concern for the interests of others, including the professional development of newer practitioners.”

Bloom has served as Westport’s town attorney since 1998 and has held the same position in New Canaan since 2012 and Weston since 2018. He has served as town counsel for Wilton since 2016 and counsel for Easton since 2003, his firm said.

“He has also represented Madison as land use counsel and numerous other municipalities for special projects,” according to his firm. “He is a frequent speaker at bar association seminars—most recently on affordable housing – and has written several articles on legal issues.”

Deep commitment

Bloom has held leadership roles, including membership in the House of Delegates of the Connecticut Bar Association, president of the Connecticut Bar Association Planning and Zoning Section and treasurer of the Connecticut Association of Municipal Attorneys. He has also been named a James W. Cooper Fellow of the Connecticut Bar Foundation.

In Westport, he has served as a member of the Representative Town Meeting and as chairman of the Westport Board of Education. 

Among his other professional achievements, Bloom has received an AV® Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, selection to the Connecticut and New England Super Lawyers lists since 2008 for Land Use & Zoning Law, and inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® for Land Use & Zoning Law since 2023 and for Municipal Law since 2025, according to his firm.