U.S. Bankruptcy Court to hold Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Ceremony, Oct 19
On Thursday, Oct. 19, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Massachusetts will hold the 10th Annual Pro Bono and Public Service Awards Ceremony. The event will be held at 4 p.m. in person at the John W. McCormack Post Office and Court House in Boston.
At the event, the court will acknowledge and thank those individual attorneys and law students who have demonstrated a commitment to pro bono legal work and public service from Sept. 1, 2022, through Sept. 1, 2023. The court will also recognize attorney David R. Chenelle, who was the 2021 District of Massachusetts Pro Bono Award recipient. An invitation to the event will be sent at a later date.
To be acknowledged for pro bono legal work and public service, attorneys must certify that they have met the specific criteria established by the court’s Pro Bono Legal Services Advisory Committee. Law students who have met the specific criteria may submit a certification, along with the acknowledgement of the attorney supervisor.
Participation is entirely voluntary. Certifications should be sent to probono@mab.uscourts.gov by Sept. 29 for an individual to be recognized at the event. Those individuals who complete a certification will also be listed on the Pro Bono and Public Service Honor Roll on the court’s website.
The court also invites individuals to submit a nomination for the District of Massachusetts Pro Bono Award. This award recognizes an individual or entity that has made a substantial commitment to pro bono service worthy of public recognition throughout the district.
Anyone who wishes to nominate an individual or entity for this year’s award should submit a nomination by Sept. 29. Click here for a description of the award, criteria, and nomination requirements, along with the nomination form. After considering the nominations, if a recipient is selected, the court will honor the recipient at the ceremony.
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Senior U.S. District Judge Harrington to retire
On Sept. 16, Senior District Judge Edward F. Harrington will retire from service to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. Harrington was appointed to the court on Feb. 22, 1988, by President Ronald Reagan and assumed senior status on March 1, 2001. He has been a member of the Massachusetts bar for 63 years and served as a U.S. District judge for over 35 years.
Prior to joining the bench, Harrington had a storied legal career working for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and in Boston in various positions for over 15 years. Those positions included U.S. attorney and chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force. His work with the Justice Department included numerous successful prosecutions of organized crime figures. He is one of only seven individuals to serve both as the U.S. attorney and as a U.S. District judge for the District of Massachusetts since it was established in 1789.
Harrington graduated with honors from the College of the Holy Cross in 1955 and in 1960 received his J.D. from Boston College Law School. In 2019, Harrington was awarded the Edward Bennett Williams '41 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Holy Cross Lawyers Association for distinguished service to the legal profession and devotion to the college.
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Job Opening
Counsel for State Sen. Mike Barrett
State Sen. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington) is seeking a counsel who will report directly to the chief of staff and work collaboratively with other staff members. This is a hybrid position, and the individual hired will work several times each week in Sen. Barrett’s State House office (with flexible work-from-home options) and travel to the district as needed.
The position will be integral to four major functions: helping to shape and direct public policy, providing support for legislative work, working with citizen groups in the district, and addressing problems of individual constituents. Day to day, the counsel must be a jack of all trades and contribute to the smooth overall operation of the office. The counsel must also relish the interplay of politics and policy.
Barrett serves as Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy and takes an active interest in criminal justice reform, transportation, and a broad range of other issues. His district consists of eight communities to the west of Boston: Bedford, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Lincoln, Waltham, Weston and a large part of Lexington.
Click here for more information and to apply.