Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, May. 5, 2011
Hon. Barbara A. Lenk. Photo courtesy of George Peet.
News from the courts
MBA pleased with Governor's Council confirmation of Barbara A. Lenk as SJC association justice
The MBA supports the decision of the Governor's Council on May 4
to confirm Gov. Deval Patrick's nomination of Barbara A. Lenk as
associate justice to the Supreme Judicial Court. Lenk fills the
vacancy created by the retirement of Associate Justice Judith A.
Cowin.
"One of the longest-serving members of the Appeals Court, Lenk
has a keen intellect that has shone through in the numerous
decisions she has written from the bench," MBA President Denise
Squillante said. "Her talent in shaping judicial arguments has also
been heralded by the Supreme Judicial Court, which has at times
referenced her writings in crafting their own rulings."
A long-time MBA member, Lenk previously served on the MBA's
Judicial Administration Section Council. Lenk was appointed to the
Appeals Court in 1995 by Gov. William Weld, who had appointed her
to the Superior Court two years earlier. Previously, Lenk was a
partner at Brown, Rudnick, Freed & Gesmer (now Brown Rudnick
Berlack Israels), where she began her legal career in 1979. She is
a Trustee of Western New England College and a member of the Boston
Inn of Court.
"Justice Lenk's personal experiences and nontraditional family
background will bring much needed empathy to the court as it
grapples with the growing complex and diverse societal issues
facing the bench," Squillante said. "Litigants and the public will
have a jurist that profoundly understands their struggles."