PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
CONTACT:
Jennifer Donahue/Erika Gully-Santiago
PublicInfo@sjc.state.ma.us
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2024
Supreme Judicial Court Announces Access to Justice Commission Appointments
BOSTON, MA -- The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) today announced the appointment of the Honorable Valerie Yarashus, Associate Justice of the Superior Court, and Marijane Benner Browne, Director of Global Lateral Partner Recruiting at Ropes & Gray LLP, as co-chairs of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission. Judge Yarashus has been appointed for a three-year term to succeed the Honorable Serge Georges, Jr., Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, who is stepping down after completing his three-year term as Commission co-chair. Marijane Benner Browne, who has served as Commission co-chair with Justice Georges since 2021, has been reappointed to that position for an additional year.
“The Access to Justice Commission was established by the SJC in 2005 to provide leadership, vision, and coordination for the many organizations dedicated to improving access to justice for people who cannot afford an attorney for their essential civil legal needs,” Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd said. “I am grateful to Judge Yarashus for taking on this important position, and to Attorney Benner Browne for her willingness to continue co-chairing the Commission. I also want to thank Justice Georges for his energetic and engaged leadership of the Commission over the last three years.”
“The Access to Justice Commission plays an important role in bringing together representatives from the courts, legal aid organizations, bar associations, law schools, community groups, and other stakeholders to engage in collaborative problem-solving,” Justice Georges said. “I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to support that work as Commission co-chair with Marijane Benner Browne, and I am confident that she and Judge Yarashus will continue to guide the Commission with vision and skill in the future.”
In addition, the SJC has appointed Kimberly Annesi, Assistant Clerk Magistrate of the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court, and Christopher Oldi, Executive Director of South Coastal Counties Legal Services, as new members of the Commission. Victoria Santoro, President-Elect of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and Mychii Snape, Deputy Chief of the Public Protection Bureau at the Office of the Attorney General, have also been reappointed as Commission members.
Judge Valerie Yarashus has been a member of the Commission since August 2019 and has served on its Executive Committee since fall 2020. She is a member of the Racial Equity and Justice Committee of the Commission and co-chair of the Superior Court’s Race and Anti-Bias Committee. Prior to her appointment to the Superior Court in October 2018, she practiced for more than 25 years as a trial lawyer. She also served as President of the Massachusetts Bar Association in 2009-2010 and as President of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys in 2002-2003. She is a graduate of George Washington University and Harvard Law School.
Marijane Benner Browne, Esq., has been a member of the Commission since 2012, and co-chaired its Revenue Enhancement Committee prior to her appointment as Commission co-chair in 2021. She has also served as a member and chair of the board of directors of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation; as a trustee of Bowdoin College; and as vice chair of the Boston Law Firm Group, a consortium of Boston-area legal employers dedicated to the recruitment, retention and advancement of attorneys of color. She is a graduate of Bowdoin College and Harvard Law School.
Kimberly Annesi has been an assistant clerk magistrate at the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court since 2005. Previously she worked for eight years as an attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services. She is a graduate of Northeastern University and Massachusetts School of Law.
Christopher Oldi has been Executive Director of South Coastal Counties Legal Services since March 1, 2023. Previously he practiced in New York with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (LSHV) and with law firms in New York City and White Plains. At LSHV he led the creation of the LGBTQ Legal Project, representing low-income LGBTQ individuals in areas such as job discrimination, housing, government benefits, and family law. He also served as a supervising attorney in LSHV’s Yonkers office and LSHV’s as Pro Bono Director. He is a graduate of Vassar College and the City University of New York School of Law.
Victoria Santoro, Esq., the incoming President of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA), has represented the MBA on the Commission since 2021. She is a co-founder of Santoro and Gray, where she represents plaintiffs in UBER/rideshare, commercial motor vehicle, products liability, and sexual assault cases, and previously practiced at Meehan, Boyle, Black & Bogdanow. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Boston College Law School.
Mychii Snape, Esq., has represented the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) on the Commission since 2021. Prior to her appointment as Deputy Chief of the Public Protection Bureau at the AGO, she held various positions within the Consumer Protection Division, and worked as an associate attorney at Ropes & Gray. She has also served on the board of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. She is a graduate of Scripps College and Columbia Law School.
More information about the Access to Justice Commission and its activities is available on its website at https://massa2j.org/.
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