The Boston Bar Association today announced that it will honor Chief Justice
Lynda M. Connolly of the Massachusetts District Court and Chief Justice Steven
D. Pierce of the Housing Court with Citations of Distinguished Judicial
Excellence at the BBA's Law Day Dinner this evening at the Westin, Copley
Place.
"Chief Justice Connolly and Chief Justice Pierce have distinguished
themselves as leaders of their respective courts, dealing with the most
immediate and pressing legal needs of our fellow citizens, but also as leaders
in the effort to help the Trial Court Department determine how best to deliver
justice when faced with a severe fiscal crisis," said BBA President Jack
Regan.
The District Court has jurisdiction over the full range of issues that affect
ordinary people in their daily lives -- from domestic violence to debt
collection, mental health and small claims, misdemeanors, felonies, and motor
vehicle appeals.
The Housing Court protects the rights of tenants, landlords, lenders and
homeowners. It is one of the Commonwealth's most innovative courts,
through its extensive use of alternate dispute resolution and its Tenancy
Preservation, Lawyer for a Day, and Information Station programs.
Two years ago, Chief Justice Mulligan, as the leader of the Trial Court,
asked Chief Justice Connolly and Chief Justice Pierce to be the Co-Chairs of the
Trial Court's Fiscal Task Force. Their assignment was to analyze court
operations and make recommendations about how the seven Departments of the Trial
Court could make adjustments to live within the budget provided by the
Legislature, while still providing access to justice.
Leading an interdepartmental group of Trial Court leaders for nearly two
years, Chief Justices Connolly and Pierce have been the driving forces behind a
system-wide effort to reduce expenses and improve efficiency in response to the
fiscal crisis. Without their leadership, and the work of the 16 members of
their Fiscal Task Force, disruptions in court sessions, staffing, and timeliness
of decisions would likely have been as severe as has occurred in other
states.
Thanks to the leadership of Chief Justices Connolly and Pierce, the Fiscal
Task Force was able to provide Chief Justice Mulligan with sound recommendations
that - so far - have allowed the Trial Court to operate with reduced
staffing, by using a hiring freeze and early retirement incentives, and limiting
or eliminating services that were not essential.