The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court today announced the members of the
new Court Management Advisory Board. According to G.L. c.211B, § 6A,
instituted in 2003, the Advisory Board “shall advise the Justices of the Supreme
Judicial Court and the Chief Justice for Administration and Management on all
matters of judicial reform including, but not limited to, a proposal for the
allocation of resources based on the demonstrated workload of each court.”
The members of the original Board, appointed in 2004, served two three-year
terms, completing their tenure in June 2010. Under the provisions of the
statute, they were not eligible for reappointment.
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, “I am deeply
grateful to these talented, experienced leaders who have agreed to serve on the
Court Management Advisory Board. We appreciate their generous commitment
to assisting the judiciary in its ongoing management reform efforts. Their
external perspective and management expertise will help the courts continue to
improve the administration of justice at every level of the court system.
I also want to thank the outgoing members of the inaugural board who provided
valuable guidance under the leadership of Attorney Michael Keating through the
varied challenges of our initial reform efforts.”
The statute stipulates that the Advisory Board shall consist of the Attorney
General or her designee, the executive director of the Massachusetts Office of
Victim Assistance and other members with specific areas of expertise appointed
by the Supreme Judicial Court. The Board must include individuals with
significant experience in public administration, business administration, and
information technology. In addition, appointees include lawyers with
significant experience in criminal law, civil law, probate and family law and
the representation of juveniles in the courts, as well as a lawyer with
significant judicial experience who is not a current justice. The Chief
Justice for Administration and Management is the designated Board secretary.
The appointment of a board to advise the judiciary on court management was
recommended in the 2003 Report of the Visiting Committee on Management in the
Courts, headed by J. Donald Monan, S.J., former Chancellor of Boston
College. The Visiting Committee, appointed by the Supreme Judicial Court,
proposed significant management reforms in the court system. Many of the
Visiting Committee’s key recommendations, including the development of staffing
models and time standards, have been implemented under the direction of Chief
Justice for Administration and Management Robert A. Mulligan.
The following individuals have been appointed for a three-year
term:
Honorable John J. Curran, Jr. is a retired First Justice of
the Leominster District Court.
William J.
Dailey, Jr., Esq. is the Senior Partner at the Boston law firm, Sloane
and Walsh, LLP, where he specializes in civil litigation.
Helen G. Drinan is the President of Simmons College in
Boston.
Ruth Ellen Fitch, Esq. is the President and Chief Executive
Officer of the Dimock Community Health Center.
John A. Grossman
serves as Undersecretary of Forensic Science and Technology for the
Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.
Glenn Mangurian is a business leader with 35 years of
experience in industry and management consulting. He also serves as an
executive-in-residence at the University of
Massachusetts.
Ralph C. Martin II,
Esq. is the Managing Partner of the Boston office of Bingham
McCutchen. He is the former District Attorney for Suffolk County, serving
in that position from 1992 - 2002.
Marilynne R. Ryan, Esq. is an attorney at the Walpole law
firm Ryan & Faenza where she specializes in family law.
Harry Spence, Esq. is a lecturer at the Kennedy School of
Government at Harvard University. He was formerly the Commissioner of the
Massachusetts Department of Social Services, serving in that capacity from
2001-2007.
The following individuals are ex officio
members:
Edward R. Bedrosian, Jr.,
Esq. is the First Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth of
Massachusetts and serves as the designee of ex officio member Attorney General
Martha Coakley.
Janet E. Fine is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts
Office of Victim Assistance.
The outgoing board
members who served two terms are Leo Boyle, Linda Carlisle, Gene Dahmen, David
Fubini, Robert Gittens, Michael Keating, Hon. Neil Lynch, Anne Margulies, Thomas
O’Brien and Elizabeth Pattulo.