Supreme Judicial Court Justices Appoint Clerk for the Commonwealth (8/28)

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court have appointed Maura A. Looney as the next Clerk for the Commonwealth. Ms. Looney was sworn in today by Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd. This appointment fills a vacancy resulting from the departure of Clerk Francis V. Kenneally, who was sworn in as a District Court judge. Ms. Looney has served as Acting Clerk for the Commonwealth since April 1. Read Full Article

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Delivers State of the Judiciary Speech

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants today presented his sixth annual address at the Massachusetts Bar Association's State of the Judiciary event in the John Adams Courthouse and highlighted several new and ongoing initiatives in the courts. Chief Justice Gants discussed the work of the Supreme Judicial Court Steering Committee on Lawyer Well-Being, which was formed in 2018 to explore and analyze the state of lawyer well-being in the Commonwealth. The committee issued a report in July 2019 finding that the legal profession faces serious challenges to the well-being of its practitioners. . . Read Full Article

The SJC on its 325th: The Chiefs Reflect

At an event in the Great Hall of the John Adams Courthouse, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court today celebrated the 325th anniversary of its founding in 1692. In honor of this anniversary, the four living Chief Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court participated in a round-table discussion moderated by WBUR's Tom Ashbrook. Read Full Article

Questions Remain on Public Records Law

On November 6 the Supreme Judicial Court passed on an opportunity to rule on the extent to which the state court system is subject to the public records laws . . . Read Full Article

Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants to Speak at Event Announcing Pro Bono Fellows

On Thursday, October 12, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants will speak at the sixth annual Access to Justice Fellows event at the John Adams Courthouse, hosted by the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission and the Lawyers Clearinghouse. Chief Justice Gants is co-chair of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission. Read Full Article