- “Filing for student loan bankruptcy: What you need to know,” ValuePenguin (June 20). The MBA’s Student Loan Bankruptcy Assistance Project was mentioned as a free resource for borrowers seeking to discharge their student loans in bankruptcy. The article notes that legal representation is critical to proving undue hardship, meaning borrowers stand to benefit greatly from the pro bono assistance provided by MBA member attorneys.
- “$20M verdict upheld for store parking lot facility,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). MBA members J. Nathan Cole, William L. Keville Jr. and Annette Gonthier-Kiely were quoted in a story about a wrongful death case brought by the estate of a woman fatally struck while entering a Cumberland Farms store. The Appeals Court found that an internal report documenting 485 collisions at Cumberland Farms locations over a 10-year period was admissible in the case.
- “Recoupment can be used to revive origination claim,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). MBA member Dmitry Lev was quoted about a U.S. Bankruptcy Court ruling that a loan servicer could not be held liable for the misconduct of the loan originator, but that the debtor could assert his Chapter 93A claims defensively to recoup what he owed.
- “Trust attorneys turning to Granite State for solutions,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). MBA members Timothy D. Sullivan and Sheila B. Giglio were quoted about the increasing number of Massachusetts estate planning attorneys who are encouraging wealthy clients to set up trusts under New Hampshire’s recently revised and more favorable system of laws.
- “Survey finds fear of retaliation inhibits harassment reporting,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). MBA member Andrea C. Kramer was quoted in this week’s Hearsay column about a recent Women’s Bar Association survey into harassment and other forms of workplace misbehavior at Massachusetts law firms. Among its findings, the survey determined that employees are still often hesitant to report instances of misconduct because they fear retaliation.
- “Public outcry for judge’s removal troubling, inappropriate,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). Retired Superior Court judges Paul A. Chernoff and John C. Cratsley wrote a letter to the editor in support of Salem Superior Court Judge Timothy Q. Feeley, who has faced calls for his impeachment following a recent sentencing decision. Chernoff and Cratsley argued that the Appeals Court is the proper forum to contest Feeley’s ruling, calling efforts to remove him from the bench “inappropriate.”
- “MEPA self-evaluations contain pitfalls for employers,” Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly (June 18). MBA member Matthew P. Ritchie co-wrote an opinion piece urging caution on the part of employers who plan to conduct self-evaluations of their wage practices to insulate themselves against Massachusetts Equal Pay Act (MEPA) claims. Ritchie’s piece noted that self-evaluations performed under the MEPA could “serve as a Trojan horse for other possible wage discrimination claims under other applicable laws.”
Press Releases
06.20.18: MBA president calls for end to border policy that separates children from parents
In Other News
Articles, blogs and other news recently shared on the Massachusetts Bar Association's social media sites.
"Supreme Court rules in favor of Martha's Vineyard man in immigration case," WBUR (June 21), via @sdooling.
"Supreme Court clears way for sales taxes on internet merchants," The New York Times (June 21), via @adamliptak.
"SJC strikes down 'millionaire's tax' ballot question," The Republican (June 18), via @shiraschoenberg.
"The Supreme Court's biggest decisions in 2018," The New York Times (June 18), via @adamliptak.
“AG: Embattled Salem judge should not be impeached,” Salem News (June 15), via @AbenedettiCPCS.
“Judge rules to send Panera peanut allergy case to jury,” Boston Globe (June 15), via @BostonGlobe.
“If it’s 8 a.m., the most powerful people in Mass. are checking this Twitter account (and no, it’s not @realDonaldTrump),” Boston Globe (June 14), via @BostonGlobe.