The Massachusetts Bar Association Blue Ribbon Commission on
Criminal Justice Attorney Compensation has released a report that
finds the salaries of attorneys who work in the state's criminal
justice system are inadequate and inequitable.
The report, "Doing Right by Those Who Labor for Justice: Fair and Equitable Compensation for Attorneys Serving the Commonwealth in its Criminal Courts 2014" is the first study conducted on this topic since the
MBA's groundbreaking "Callahan Report" in 1994.
The commission found that the lowest paid person in a
Massachusetts courtroom is a new assistant district attorney, which
ranks less than the salary of the courtroom custodian.
Massachusetts ranks last in the nation in public defenders salary
and the salaries of entry-level assistant district attorneys and
assistant attorneys general rank well below those in neighboring
states such as New Hampshire and Connecticut.
The report includes suggestions on how to improve the challenges
assistant district attorneys, public defenders and bar advocates
face living in Massachusetts, where compensation rates have changed
little in 20 years.
"In addition to being a burden in the lives of these attorneys,
the inadequate salaries can also have a damaging impact on public
safety," said MBA Chief Legal Counsel and Chief Operating Officer
Martin W. Healy. "The turnover rate in these positions is
alarmingly high and our criminal justice system ultimately
suffers."