Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
Photograph by
Bethany Versoy
MBA President David W. White Jr. presents District Court Chief Justice Lynda M. Connolly with the Daniel F. Toomey Excellence in the Judiciary Award at the Feb. 5 Excellence in the Law Dinner.
Excellence in the Law honors profession’s finest
Excellence in the Law event celebrated the profession’s finest on Feb. 5 at the Westin Boston waterfront with more than 200 people in attendance
by Bill Archambeault
The annual ceremony, which is hosted by the MBA and the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, honored the 2008 recipients of the Daniel F. Toomey Excellence in the Judiciary Award and the Excellence in Journalism Award. Also recognized were the 10 Lawyers of the Year and five Diversity Heroes selected by Lawyers Weekly.
MBA President David W. White Jr., who presented the judiciary and journalism awards, was introduced by Lawyers Weekly Publisher David L. Yas, the evening’s moderator, as “a tremendous leader. What a tremendous example for lawyers.”
Recognizing the work of Chief Justice Connolly
District Court Chief Justice Lynda M. Connolly was honored with the Excellence in the Judiciary Award. In 2004, Connolly was appointed District Court chief justice, responsible for overseeing 62 district courts. She has overseen the implementation of time standards and a dramatic increase in clearance rates in the district courts — which she calls the “gateway to justice for the vast majority of people who use the court system.”
Applauding a commitment in covering legal news
Cynthia G. Simison (right), managing editor of The Republican and Sunday Republican in Springfield, received the Excellence in Legal Journalism Award. She coordinates the newspaper’s daily local news effort, oversees the weekly Plus Papers and participates in long-range planning for investigative and enterprise reporting projects.
The full list of honorees includes:
The Daniel F. Toomey Excellence in the Judiciary Award
Hon. Lynda M. Connolly
Chief Justice, District Court
Excellence in Legal Journalism Award
Cynthia G. Simison
Managing Editor, The Republican
Lawyers Weekly’s Lawyers of the Year 2007
Juliane Balliro, Wolf Block, Boston
Martha Coakley, Attorney General, Boston
Christine S. Collins, Bowditch & Dewey, Worcester
Nancy J. Kelly, Greater Boston Legal Services’ Immigration Unit, Boston
John Willshire-Carrera, Greater Boston Legal Services’ Immigration Unit, Boston
Peter B. Krupp, Lurie & Krupp, Boston
David E. Meier, Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, Boston
Michael E. Mone, Esdaile, Barrett & Esdaile, Boston
Carlene A. Pennell, Rubin & Rudman, Boston
Andrew H. Tarsy, Anti-Defamation League, Boston
John M. Thompson, Thompson & Thompson, Springfield
Lawyers Weekly’s Diversity Heroes
Harry T. Daniels, Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr LLP, Boston
Hon. Fernande R.V. Duffly, Associate Justice, Appeals Court
Mickey E. Harris, Law Offices of Mickey E. Harris, Springfield
Hon. Charles R. Johnson, Chief Justice, Boston Municipal Court
Bernadette Stark, Western Massachusetts Legal Services, Northampton