Lawyers e-Journal
Thursday, May. 12, 2011
Legislative News
MBA applauds the House of Representatives for passing historic court reform legislation
The Massachusetts Bar Association is celebrating following the
May 4 House of Representatives' passage of legislation that will
professionalize Trial Court management, better aligning
Massachusetts with other innovative and forward-thinking court
systems.
House Chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary Eugene
O'Flaherty acknowledged the MBA in his remarks during the
approximately hour-long debate that resulted in a 152 to 0 vote in
favor of the legislation. The legislation will now move on to
the Senate for a vote.
House Bill No. 3395 will benefit litigants and the public alike
as it presents multiple efficiencies for the court system.
Specifically, the creation of a court administrator position to be
assumed by an expert, non-judicial civilian administrator, is
reform long advocated by the MBA. The MBA's independently
commissioned 1991 Harbridge House Report and the 2003 MBA Court Study Task Force Report both
included detailed findings and recommendations regarding the employ
of such an administrator.
"This proposal brings to fruition more than 30 years of best
practices from the state and the nation," said MBA President Denise
Squillante, who was joined by MBA Past President Leo V. Boyle
in early May to testify in favor of the bill before the Joint
Committee on the Judiciary. "This change will place Massachusetts
where it should be, as a national model for an innovative and
effective court system."