Public Policy > Our Policy Positions

Our Policy Positions

Our Positions

  • Access to Justice

    Access to justice means ensuring adequate funding for both civil legal services for the poor and for the courts, so that those who need to turn to the justice system to protect their rights or resolve their disputes will find the sufficient staff and resources to assist them.

  • Criminal Justice

    The BBA believes that the primary concern of a criminal justice system should be promoting public safety and ensuring fair treatment for all citizens. In pursuit of this goal, the BBA has a long history of advocating for policies which are consistent, fiscally responsible and guarantee that the administration of justice in Massachusetts is impartial.

  • Civil Rights & Civil Liberties

    The Massachusetts Constitution — the nation's first and oldest — stands as a beacon for fair and equal treatment under the law for every citizen. It is fitting, then, that the BBA has a long record of voicing opposition to and mobilizing resources against threats to civil rights and civil liberties. Our work in this area spans affirmative action, the right to vote, and same-sex marriage. It also includes the right to privacy, freedom of speech, the balance between liberty and security.

  • Practice of Law

    The BBA inspires the vigorous pursuit of ideas, critical analysis and civic engagement in order to advance the practice of law as a business and a profession and has always worked to integrate opportunities for dynamic change and to exercise judgment and creativity in offering solutions for problems.

  • Children & Families

    The BBA is attentive to legislative matters regarding the care, protection, and support of children, as well as other family-related legal issues. Our vibrant Family Law Section frequently concerns itself with procedural and administrative matters relating to the Probate and Family Court and maintains a continuing dialogue with its judges.

Criminal Defense Bar Access to Drug Lab Database

In response to the concerns about wrongdoing and misconduct at the Hinton State Laboratory Institute in Jamaica Plain, the Commonwealth is providing the private criminal defense bar with access to a database of information to identify individuals whose cases potentially have been impacted. In order to obtain access to this information, attorneys will need to submit this form and attestation.

Any attorney who

  • handled a drug-related matter between the years of 2003 to 2012 in which the drug analysis may have been conducted in the DPH Drug Lab, or
  • handled a matter in which the defendant's sentence may have been enhanced by a drug-related conviction based on conduct between the years 2003 to 2012, inclusive, in which the drug analysis may have been conducted in the DPH Drug Lab may seek access to the database by filling out the form and attesting to their compliance with CORI.

The completed form and the attestation must be submitted in writing by mail or fax to:

Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
One Ashburton Place
Room 2133
Boston, MA 02108
Attn: Michelle Goldman
Fax: 617-727-4764 

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As a well-known innovator and opinion leader, the BBA is at the forefront of promoting justice and improving access to the legal system in Massachusetts. The Business Litigation Session of the Superior Court, the Uniform Probate Code, and our successful argument asserting the First Amendment rights of private parties, including bar associations, found in the R.E.B.A. v. N.R.E.I.S amicus brief are just three of the positive changes we have helped make a reality.