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In response to Chief Justice Margaret Marshall's announcement that she will retire
effective October, 2010, President John J. Regan issued the following statement
on behalf of the members of the Boston Bar Association:
In her fourteen years as a Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, Margaret H.
Marshall has achieved distinction as a jurist, a leader and a manager. She has
been everything a judge should be – fair, impartial, intellectual, practical,
and a model of integrity and even temperament. Well known for her
tightly-reasoned opinions, she is also a judge who writes to ensure that the
litigants – those who are most directly affected by the Court’s rulings –
understand the reasoning behind decisions.
As a leader within the Court, she has been an independent thinker who speaks
her mind, but is also adept at fashioning the compromises necessary to keep the
Court both collegial and productive.
As President of the Boston Bar Association, she was a forceful advocate for
improving the quality of justice in Massachusetts. As Chief Justice of the
Supreme Judicial Court, she made improvement of the management and timeliness of
the entire court system a high priority. Her devotion to access to justice for
all, and her commitment to the fair and efficient administration of justice in
every court of the Commonwealth, will be her great legacy to the people of
Massachusetts.
The Boston Bar Association has twice honored Chief Justice Marshall, first in
2005 with our Citation for Judicial Excellence, and last year with the Haskell
Cohn Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
Although we will miss Chief Justice Marshall's service and leadership as the
head of the Commonwealth’s court system, we wish her and her husband Tony
well. We profoundly thank her for her contributions to the improvement of
the quality of our law and court system, her sharing of her time and talent with
members of the bar, her tireless service to the people of Massachusetts, and her
compassion for all.
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