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The Massachusetts Bar Association’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) regularly highlights diverse attorneys from within our community on the DEIC web page to recognize their achievements and contributions. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, celebrated in January, the DEIC is proud to shine a light on the life and work of Adrian Angus, a former public defender with the Committee for Public Counsel Services and president-elect of the Worcester County Bar Association who died in September 2024.
Attorney Adrian Angus was a dedicated and passionate public defender with the Worcester Trial Office of the Committee for Public Counsel Services from 2011 until his death on Sept. 18, 2024, following a brief illness. His commitment to justice extended beyond the courtroom, as he also served as a Legal Training Attorney in the Criminal Defense Training Unit of the CPCS Training Department, where he mentored and guided aspiring attorneys.
An honors graduate of McGill University and Boston University School of Law, Angus’ expertise and dedication to social justice were widely recognized. In 2022, the Massachusetts Bar Association honored Angus with the MBA’s Access to Justice Defender of the Year Award, a testament to his tireless advocacy for marginalized communities. In announcing Angus’ award, the MBA said he “has earned admiration not only for his skills as a legal advocate, but for his unique ability to give humanity and voice to his clients in protecting their interests.”
Angus was also a member of the MBA’s inaugural Leadership Academy Class in 2016 and a former co-chair of the MBA’s Criminal Justice and Policing Reform Working Group. He was a member of the MBA’s DEIC and also authored a Black Lives Matter resolution that was passed by the MBA’s House of Delegates.
“Anyone who met him knew he was a kind, intelligent man, who cared about his colleagues and clients,” said MBA DEIC member Jasmine M. Villanueva-Simms. “Adrian was so passionate about equity work and had a gift for teaching and mentoring young lawyers and is greatly missed.”
At the time of his passing, Angus was President-Elect of the Worcester County Bar Association for the 2025-2026 term. In 2021, he received the Worcester County Bar Association's President's Award for Service to the Bar. He was widely recognized for his stellar legal mind and ability to relate to people from all walks of life, and across the spectrum of society.
Angus’ accomplishments reflected his lifelong commitment to service. Speaking to the Worcester Telegram after her son's passing, Elaine Angus noted that her son was raised in both Canada and the U.S. and achieved the highest scouting honor, Chief Scout and Eagle Scout, in both countries. He chose to pursue a career as a public defender because, "It was the work, the help, the service he valued." his mother said.
Angus’ commitment to public service extended beyond the legal field. He was an active member of the Worcester Planning Board and served as a Commissioner on Massachusetts' Access to Justice Commission of the Supreme Judicial Court, working to ensure equal access to the legal system for all citizens.
In a statement provided to the Worcester Telegram after Angus’ passing, SJC Justice Serge Georges Jr., who served with Angus on the SJC’s Access to Justice Commission, said: “Adrian was a talented lawyer and even better person. His potential was limitless, as was his commitment to justice and fairness in the courts and our world. … My hope is Adrian will be remembered for the light he brought to this world, his warm and friendly smile, and that we all honor his legacy by striving for the values he embodied.”
This profile includes excerpts from Angus’ obituary. Read the full obituary on Legacy.com.