2015-16 Superior Court Law Clerk Positions

Spread the word! The Superior Court is accepting applications for 2015-16 Superior Court Law Clerk positions. The law clerk position is responsible for performing legal research and writing assignments to assist the Justices of the Superior Court, for a one-year term running from August 31, 2015 through August 31, 2016. Duties of the position encompass every aspect of court procedure and all legal issues within the Superior Court's civil and criminal jurisdiction. A reliable car and the willingness and ability to travel to courthouses throughout the Commonwealth are requirements of the positions. There may be an opportunity to apply for an additional one-year term.

For more information, see the Position Posting. Applicants must apply via the Trial Court online application. See the Trial Court Jobs Page for more information. Application deadline is November 12, 2014.

Judge Fabricant Appointed Chief Justice of the Superior Court

Judge Judith Fabricant has been appointed Chief Justice of the Superior Court for a five-year term commencing December 24, 2014. Judge Fabricant was appointed to the Superior Court in 1996, and has served as a Regional Administrative Justice, as the Administrative Justice for the Business Litigation Session, and as chair of the Education Committee since 2009. She will succeed Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse whose term ends on December 23, 2014, when she reaches mandatory retirement.

Prior to joining the Superior Court, Judge Fabricant served as an Assistant Attorney General for Massachusetts from 1988 to 1996, where she was Chief of the Government Bureau from 1992 to 1996. She also served as an Assistant District Attorney in Essex County from 1987 to 1988, and spent three years with the Boston firm of Hill & Barlow.

For more details, see the Trial Court Press Release.

Judge Geraldine Hines Nominated to Supreme Judicial Court

Governor Deval Patrick has nominated Justice Geraldine S. Hines to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Judge Hines, a highly respect Associate Justice of the Appeals Court and former Superior Court judge, is slated to fill the vacancy to be created by the appointment of Justice Ralph D. Gants as Chief Justice of the SJC.

Judge Hines was appointed to the Appeals Court in 2013. Before then, she served as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court for 11 years, including two years as the Regional Administrative Judge for Civil Business in Suffolk County. (Judge Hines was also a long-time member of the Judges' Law Clerks Committee, guiding and mentoring many of the law clerks who assisted her.) Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Hines practiced law for 30 years in Boston, concentrating on criminal defense, civil rights litigation and social justice advocacy.

For more information, see the Governor's Press Release.

New Addition to Superior Court: Judge William F. Sullivan

The latest addition to the Superior Court is William F. Sullivan, nominated by Governor Deval Patrick in April 2014, and confirmed by the Governor's Council in May 2014. Before joining the Superior Court, Judge Sullivan maintained a criminal and civil practice based in Quincy since 1984. He also spent two years as an Assistant District Attorney in Norfolk County from 1982 to 1984. Judge Sullivan served on the Committee for Public Counsel Services murder list and represented private clients on a wide range of criminal and civil litigation matters. He also served as a special assistant city solicitor in Quincy from 2006 to 2008 and as a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission from 2003 and 2007. Judge Sullivan now fills the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable D. Lloyd Macdonald on May 11, 2014. For more information, see the Governor's Press Release announcing the original nomination.

Governor Patrick Nominates Justice Gants as Chief Justice of the SJC

Governor Patrick has announced the nomination of Justice Ralph D. Gants to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. Justice Gants, a former Superior Court judge, is slated to fill the vacancy to be created by the retirement of Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland on July 25, 2014.

Justice Gants was first appointed to the SJC in 2009. While serving on the SJC, Justice Gants has been co-chair of the Massachusetts Access to the Justice Commission and Chair of the SJC Standing Committee on Model Jury Instructions on Homicide. Prior to his appoint to the SJC, Justice Gants served as Associate Justice of the Superior Court since 1997, and as Administrative Justice of the Superior Court Business Litigation Section since 2008. Prior to his nomination to the Superior Court, Justice Gants practiced law at the Boston firm of Palmer & Dodge LLP, specializing in white collar criminal defense, internal investigation, complex civil litigation and employment law.

For more details, see the Governor's Press Release.

Two Superior Court Nominations

Governor Patrick has announced the nomination of District Court Judge Beverly J. Cannone and Boston Municipal Court Judge Rosalind H. Miller as Associate Justices of the Superior Court. Judge Cannone was appointed to the Quincy District Court in 2009. From 1985 to 2009, she was a staff attorney at the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), where she tried many case in the Superior Court. If confirmed, Judge Cannone will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Thomas Murtagh.

Judge Miller was appointed to the Boston Municipal Court, Dorchester Division in 1996. She has been serving as the First Justice in that court since 2009. Prior to joining the bench, Judge Miller was an Assistant District Attorney in Suffolk County for 17 years, including 14 years in the Superior Court and one year in the Appeals Court unit. Judge Miller is slated to fill the Superior Court vacancy created by the retirement of the Honorable Robert A. Mulligan.

For more details, see the Governor's Press Release.

2014-15 Superior Court Law Clerk Positions

Spread the word! The Superior Court has posted 2014-15 Law Clerk positions on the Trial Court Jobs website! As all you former law clerks know, this position is responsible for performing legal research and writing assignments to assist the Justices of the Superior Court in both civil and criminal matters, for a one-year term running from September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015. The posting applies to positions in both eastern and western Massachusetts. Law clerks rotate among different courthouse locations, so a reliable car is a requirement of the clerkship.

For more information, including job duties, requirements, and application process information, see the Position Posting. Interested applicants must apply via the online application process. For more information on the online application process, see the various links found here. Application deadline is the end of business day on Monday, April 7, 2014.

NOTE: The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court has also posted Law Clerk positions, with an application deadline of April 7, 2014. Click here for the posting.

2014 Massachusetts Guide to Evidence Now Available

The 2014 Edition of the Massachusetts Guide to Evidence was recently released. It is available without charge on the Massachusetts Courts website at www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/guide-to-evidence, where it can be searched and downloaded. Official print versions are also available from the Flaschner Judicial Institute.

In 2006, the Supreme Judicial Court established a 17-member Advisory Committee to prepare a Massachusetts Guide to Evidence. In 2008, the SJC appointed the Executive Committee of the Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Evidence Law to continue to update the Guide. The 2014 edition of the Guide reflects developments in Massachusetts evidence law that occurred in January 1, 2013 through December 31, 2013. Every state judge in the Commonwealth is provided with a copy of the Guide. As such, the Justices of the SJC recommend use of the Guide by the bench, bar, and public. For more information, see the SJC Press Release.

2013-14 Superior Court Law Clerk Positions

Spread the word! The Superior Court has posted 2013-14 Law Clerk positions on the Trial Court Jobs website! As all you former law clerks know, this position is responsible for performing legal research and writing assignments to assist the Justices of the Superior Court in both civil and criminal matters, for a one-year term running from September 1, 2013 through August 31, 2014. The posting applies to positions in both eastern and western Massachusetts. Law clerks rotate among different courthouse locations, so a reliable car is a requirement of the clerkship.

For more information, including job duties, requirements, and application process information, see the Trial Court Job Posting. Interested applicants must apply via the online application process. For more information on the online application process, see the various links found here. Application deadline is the end of business day on Friday, July 12, 2013.

New Leadership for Business Litigation Session

Chief Justice Barbara J. Rouse has announced a change in leadership of the Business Litigation Session (BLS), which provides a statewide forum for resolution of commercial disputes. Starting July 1, 2013, Judge Janet Sanders will be the new Administrative Justice of the BLS, replacing Judge Judith Fabricant. Judge Sanders, along with Judge Christine Roach, Judge Thomas Billings, and Judge Mitchell Kaplan, will continue to alternate six-month period in the BLS1 and BLS2 sessions. Following her graduation from Harvard Law School, Judge Sanders served as a law clerk for two federal District Court judges, practiced law at Hill & Barlow, was appointed to the state District Court in 1995 and became a member of the Superior Court in 2001. For more information, see the Trial Court Press Release.

New Chief Justice of the Trial Court Appointed

The Supreme Judicial Court has appointed the Honorable Paula M. Carey as the new Chief Justice of the Trial Court, effective July 16, 2013. Chief Justice Carey has served as Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court since 2007. She was first appointed to the Probate and Family Court in 2001 as a circuit judge and then served as an Associate Justice in Norfolk County. Before her appointment to the bench, Chief Justice Carey was a Founding Partner of Carey & Mooney, PC. She will succeed Chief Justice Robert A. Mulligan who will retire after 33 years of service to the courts. For more information, see the SJC Press Release.

Bristol and Fitchburg Law Libraries to Close

The Trial Court has announced that the Bristol Law Library in Taunton and the Fitchburg Law Library will cease operation as of May 10, 2013. Their staff will be redeployed to other sites. According to the Trial Court website, the two libraries had the lowest user activity of the 17 Trial Court Law Libraries across the state. The 15 other libraries will remain open, so patrons of the Bristol Law Library can use the libraries in Brockton, New Bedford, or Fall River. The Worcester Law Library continues to serve the Worcester County communities, including Fitchburg. For more information on these libraries, see the Trial Court announcement.

In recent years, the Trial Court Law Libraries have increasingly shifted their services to expand electronic resources. In Fiscal Year 2012, the Trial Court Law Libraries across the state served 282,000 patrons, while the Trial Court Law Library website recorded over 39 million visitors.

Four Finalists for Chief Justice of the Trial Court

From an initial pool of eleven nominees, four finalists have been selected to succeed Chief Justice of the Trial Court Robert Mulligan, who reaches mandatory retirement age in July 2013. The four finalists are: Chief Justice of the Probate & Family Court Paula Carey, Housing Court Justice Dina Fein, Superior Court Justice Jeffrey Locke, and Superior Court Justice John Lu. The four candidates will meet with Trial Court officials during the next few weeks, and then have final interviews with the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court. The Justices expect to announce their choice for Chief Justice of the Trial Court in May.

Superior Court Posts Research Attorney Position

The Superior Court has posted an opening for a Research Attorney position. Among other duties, a Research Attorney aids the Justices of the Superior Court by researching legal issues and preparing draft decisions on civil, criminal, and administrative matters. Research Attorneys typically handle more complex and difficult cases than law clerks and, unlike law clerks, are not limited to a yearly term. Research Attorneys may assist in the training, administration, and oversight of  law clerks, law fellows, and interns. Research Attorneys must be able to travel to Superior Court Courthouses throughout the Commonwealth.

Minimum requirements include graduation from an accredited law school and membership in the Massachusetts Bar. Prior judicial clerkship experience preferred, particularly as a Superior Court Law Clerk. For full details, see the official Job Posting at:

https://careers-trialcourtsofmass.icims.com/jobs/1075/job

To apply, interested candidates must follow the online application process set forth at http://www.mass.gov/courts/jobs. Paper applications will not be accepted. Deadline for applications is the close of business on March 26, 2013.

2013 Massachusetts Guide to Evidence Now Available

The Supreme Judicial Court has announced the release of the 2013 edition of the Massachusetts Guide to Evidence. As you may know, there is no Massachusetts Rules of Evidence in the same way that there exists the Federal Rules of Evidence. Instead, Massachusetts evidence law can be found in various statutes, case decisions, court rules, and other authorities. In 2006, the Supreme Judicial Court established an Advisory Committee to prepare a Massachusetts Guide to Evidence which assembles existing Massachusetts evidence law into a single easy-to-use document. The 2013 edition is the fifth annual edition of the Guide.

The Guide may be accessed for free online at www.mass.gov/courts/sjc/guide-to-evidence, where it can be searched or downloaded as a PDF. Official print versions are available for purchase from the Flaschner Judicial Institute. For more information about the Guide, including developments in the law that have been added to the 2013 Guide, see the SJC Announcement.

Congratulations to the members of the SJC Advisory Committee and its Executive Committee, which includes Appeals Court Judge Marc Kantrowitz (chair), Superior Court Judge David Lowy (editor), and Clerk of the Appeals Court (and former Superior Court law clerk) Joseph F. Stanton (recorder).

Superior Court Invites Comments to Proposed Rule Changes

The Superior Court invites comments on a proposed clarification of Superior Court Rule 9A(b)(2) regarding time computation and on a proposed new Superior Court Standing Order on Data Security. For more information, see the following items from the Superior Court website.

* Notice to the Bar
* Proposed Clarification of Superior Court Rule 9A(b)(2) Relating to Time Computation
* Proposed New Superior Court Standing Order on Data Security

The deadline for comments is March 22, 2013. Comments should be mailed to the Superior Court Administrative Office, c/o Maria I. Pena, Suffolk County Courthouse, Three Pemberton Square, 13th Floor, Boston, MA 02108 or e-mailed to maria.pena@jud.state.ma.us.

Judicial Roundup: New Superior Court Judges

The year 2012 and the early part of 2013 have seen many new additions to the Superior Court. Below is a list of the most recent nominees to the Superior Court bench, in reverse chronological order, and the judges whom they replaced or are slated to replace. For more information on the nominated individuals, click on their respective links, which will lead you to the Governor's Press Releases.

Awaiting Confirmation (as of this posting)

• On February 13, 2013, Robert Ullman, a partner at Nutter, McClennan & Fish LLP, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of the Hon. Geraldine S. Hines to the Appeals Court. 
• On February 6, 2013, Judge Shannon Frison of the Boston Municipal Court, Roxbury Division, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of the Hon. Peter W. Agnes, Jr., to the Appeals Court.
• On January 16, 2013, Edward J. McDonough, Jr., a partner in the Springfield firm of Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Peter A. Velis.
• On January 4, 2013, Brian A. Davis, a partner at Choate, Hall & Stewart LLP, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Thomas E. Connolly.

Confirmed by Governor's Council

• On January 4, 2013, Judge Angel Kelley Brown of the Brockton District Court was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Barbara Dortch-Okara.
• On January 4, 2013, Robert B. Gordon, a partner at Ropes & Gray, LLP, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John P. Connor, Jr.
• On November 28, 2012, Peter B. Krupp, a founding partner of the Boston firm of Lurie & Krupp, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the Hon. Regina L. Quinlan.
• On November 26, 2012, Judge Kenneth V. Desmond, Jr., of the Boston Municipal Court, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by retirement of the Hon. Elizabeth Bowen Donovan.
• On November 21, 2012, James F. Lang, Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by retirement of the Hon. Leila R. Kern.
• On November 14, 2012, Mary K. Ames, who served as Senior Trial Counsel and Deputy Chief of the Homicide Division of the Suffolk District Attorney's Office before starting her own practice, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Herman J. Smith, Jr.
• On June 5, 2012, Heidi E. Brieger, Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. John C. Cratsley.
• On June 5, 2012, Paul D. Wilson, a partner at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, was nominated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Wendie I. Gershengorn.

Nominations Sought for Chief Justice of the Trial Court

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court are soliciting nominations of Trial Court judges for the position of Chief Justice of the Trial Court. Chief Justice Robert A. Mulligan, who currently holds this position, reaches mandatory retirement in July 2013, creating a vacancy. The Chief Justice will be appointed by the Justices from among the judges of the Trial Court for a five year renewable term. Nominations may come from the judges themselves or from others. All nominations and submissions must be received by the Supreme Judicial Court by March 1, 2013. For more information, see the SJC Press Release.

Judge Hines Approved for Appeals Court

The Governor's Council has unanimously confirmed the nomination of Judge Geraldine S. Hines to the Appeals Court. As set forth in the Governor's Press Release announcing her nomination, Judge Hines has served as an Associate Justice of the Superior Court since 2001 and as the Regional Administrative Judge for Civil Business in Suffolk County since 2009. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she practiced law for 30 years in Boston, concentrating on criminal defense, civil rights litigation and social justice advocacy. In particular, in 1989, she and retired Boston Municipal Court Judge Margaret Burnham formed the first law firm in New England of women of color. Judge Hines will fill the vacancy on the Appeals Court created by the retirement of the Honorable James F. McHugh.

Nomination to the Superior Court

On December 14, 2010, Governor Deval Patrick announced the nomination of Boston attorney Edward P. ("Ned") Leibensperger as Associate Justice of the Superior Court. Attorney Leibensperger has practiced law in Boston for over 35 years, first at Nutter McClennen & Fish, and, since 2004, at McDermott Will & Emery, focusing on civil litigation. He is slated to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of The Honorable Charles T. Spurlock.

For more details, see the official press release. This nomination marks the sixth prospective addition to the Superior Court since October (see here and here). For a current listing of the Superior Court judges, see here.