Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, Sep. 27, 2012
News from the courts
Vacancy on the Board of Bar Examiners; Access to Justice Commission launches new Pro Bono Fellows Program
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Vacancy on the Board of Bar
Examiners
The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court invite applications
for appointment to the Board of Bar Examiners. There is one vacancy
on the board due to the expiration of the term of an incumbent
member. Appointments are made for a term of five years.
Under G.L. c. 221, §§ 35, 36, the justices appoint the
five-member board to consider issues relating to examinations for
admission to the bar and the qualifications of applicants. Because
at least four members of the board must reside in different
counties, residents of Essex County are not eligible for this
vacancy. The justices seek applications from experienced lawyers
who have been members of the Massachusetts bar in good standing for
a substantial number of years.
Letters, with resumes, should be submitted by Friday, Oct. 19,
2012, to:
Pamela B. Lyons, administrative
attorney
Supreme Judicial Court, Suite 2500
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston, Massachusetts 02108
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Access to Justice Commission
launches new Pro Bono Fellows Program
The Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission will launch a
first of-its-kind Pro Bono Fellows Program in which senior lawyers
will partner with non-profit and legal service organizations to
provide critical legal assistance to underserved populations. Seven
distinguished, experienced lawyers -- who have retired or are
transitioning into retirement -- have been selected by the
commission to participate in the statewide pilot project to help
expand legal services to persons of limited means.
The first Access to
Justice Fellows and their partners are as follows:
- Hon. Patrick Fox, district court judge
(1990-2010): Massachusetts Justice Project, Dismas House,
Lutheran Social Services of New England
- Martha Koster, Mintz Levin litigation
partner: Political Asylum/Immigration Representation Project
(PAIR), Access to Justice Fellows Project
- William Patton, Ropes & Gray retired
litigation partner: Volunteer Lawyers Project/Senior Partners
for Justice
- Robert Sable, Greater Boston Legal
Services, former executive director: Greater Boston Legal
Services
- Richard Soden, Goodwin Procter business
law partner: Lawyers Clearinghouse
- Eileen Sorrentino, retired solo
practitioner from Chicopee: Volunteer Lawyers Project/Senior
Partners for Justice
- Robert Tuchman, WilmerHale Regulatory and
Government Affairs and Corporate and Transactional departments
retired partner: The Trustees of Reservations, Environmental
League of Massachusetts, Community Dispute Settlement Center,
development of urban agriculture
The program is structured by pairing fellows with a legal
services provider or non-profit organization of their choice. The
Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission Fellows Working Group
will meet with each fellow to design a project together with the
provider or non-profit. The non-profit will provide training and
support while law firms will provide resources, such as
administrative support and office space. Each fellow is expected to
devote between 10 to 20 hours per week to individual pro bono
projects. In addition, the fellows will also meet once a month with
community leaders, legal services providers, and public interest
organizations, among others, to gain an in-depth understanding of
the specific needs of the communities they will be serving. Susan
Finegan and Martha Koster, partners at the law firm of Mintz Levin,
led the Access to Justice Working Group in designing the
program.
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