BBO seeking volunteer
Hearing Committee members
The Board of Bar Overseers (BBO) encourages interested attorneys and members of the public across the commonwealth to apply for appointment to a three-year term (2022-2024) as a volunteer Hearing Committee member.
Hearing Committees sit in panels of three as fact-finding tribunals in disciplinary proceedings brought against individual attorneys by the Office of Bar Counsel. The committees hear testimony, take evidence, make adjudicatory rulings and, with the assistance of a board attorney, prepare a written report and recommendation for the BBO.
The BBO is conducting remote (virtual) hearings at this time and into the foreseeable future. Applicants must have a computer equipped with a camera and microphone as well as reliable internet, and be comfortable with the use of remote technology.
Committee members receive no monetary compensation and devote their time as a public service in the vital interest of preserving the integrity of the legal profession. The board will provide comprehensive training, including in the use of the relevant remote technology.
The board seeks to maintain a broad-based representation of attorneys and members of the public within the committee ranks, and strongly encourages diverse applicants, women, candidates with varied backgrounds, small-firm practitioners, individuals in public service, and people from all geographic regions of the state, particularly those outside of metro-Boston. Active members of the bar with at least 10 years of professional experience should submit a statement of interest and resume specifying their major field(s) of practice at http://massbbo.org/volunteer.
Members of the public (non-lawyers) may apply as long as they are not paralegals or employed in a legal-related field, and should complete an application form available at http://www.massbbo.org/volunteer. All Hearing Committee members are considered special state employees subject to the state conflict of interest law, G.L. c. 268A.
Applications can also be mailed to Sandra Mahabir, Board of Bar Overseers, 99 High St., Boston, MA 02110 on or before Oct. 31, 2021.
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Public notice for appointment of new magistrate judge
The Judicial Conference of the United States has authorized the appointment of a full-time U.S. magistrate judge for the District of Massachusetts, serving in the Eastern Division, with a duty station in the John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse in Boston,
commencing upon the retirement of Magistrate Judge Marianne B. Bowler in 2022.
The duties of the position are demanding and wide-ranging, including, but not limited to:
(1) conduct of most preliminary proceedings in criminal cases; (2) trial and disposition of
misdemeanor cases; (3) conduct of various pretrial matters and evidentiary proceedings on delegation from a district judge; and (4) trial and disposition of civil cases upon consent of the litigants. The basic authority of a U.S. magistrate judge is specified in 28 U.S.C. § 636. A summary of magistrate judge duties is available here.
A merit selection panel composed of attorneys and other members of the community will
review all applicants and recommend to the district judges in confidence the five persons it considers best qualified. Diversity will be a key component of recruiting, reviewing and selecting candidates for the open magistrate judge position.
Click here for more information and application instructions.
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Comments sought for reappointment of magistrate judge
The current term of the office of U.S. Magistrate Judge M. Page Kelley will
expire on June 16, 2022. In accordance with 28 U.S.C. §631(b)(5) and regulations promulgated by the Judicial Conference of the United States, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has appointed a panel of citizens to advise the court concerning the reappointment of the magistrate judge to a new eight-year term.
The duties of a magistrate judge include, in criminal cases, the conduct of most
preliminary proceedings, as well as trials and dispositions of misdemeanor offenses. In civil cases, the duties encompass managing various pretrial matters, presiding over evidentiary proceedings on delegation from the district judges, and conducting trials upon the consent of the litigants. Click here for information on judges of the federal courts and here for a summary of magistrate judge duties.
In aid of its review and evaluation of the incumbent’s performance in office, the panel
will consider comments from members of the bar and the public and any other evidence of her character, ability, fairness and commitment to equal justice. It will report its recommendations to the court.
Comments from members of the bar and the public concerning the incumbent’s
qualifications for reappointment are invited and must be received by Nov. 30, 2021. They
should be marked “Confidential” and directed to:
Robert M. Farrell
Clerk of Court
Attn: USMJ – Reappointment
United States District Court
1 Courthouse Way, Suite 2300
Boston, MA 02210
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Law office space available in Newton
Two offices plus an adjacent large secretarial space are available for rent (singly or in combination) in a small, friendly law firm suite in a modern Newton Corner professional building. The space is secure and quiet, receives lots of daylight, and features a shared reception area, library, conference room, kitchen and recycling. The building is well-maintained and fully COVID compliant, with HEPA filters in all common areas.
Parking is available in an adjacent garage, and there are many nearby dining options and amenities, including a hotel restaurant. The building offers easy access to the Mass. Pike and is located across the street from the express bus to downtown Boston.
All lawyers and allied professionals are welcome. For further information, contact Matthew Ritter, firm administrator at Messing, Rudavsky & Weliky PC, at operations@mrwemploymentlaw.com.
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Job Openings
Corporate transactional attorney
at Rath, Young and Pignatelli
Rath, Young and Pignatelli PC is seeking an associate attorney with three to five years of experience as a corporate lawyer involved in real estate transactions, entity formations and structuring, mergers and acquisitions, bank lending, contract drafting and negotiation, and other skills normally expected of a corporate/transactional associate.
The firm has offices in Concord and Nashua, New Hampshire; Montpelier, Vermont; and Boston, Massachusetts. It would be possible for the candidate to work from any of these offices, although Concord is the firm's principal office.
Visit the firm's website for a more detailed description of the position. Send a resume, letter of interest and writing sample to Diane Vlahos, director of operations, at djv@rathlaw.com. The firm will not accept the submission of candidate resumes from search firms without a signed fee agreement.
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Associate attorney at Dixon & Associates
Dixon & Associates, a small litigation firm in Lawrence, is seeking an associate attorney. The firm handles personal injury, workers' compensation and criminal cases in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, and attorneys must be licensed in both states.
The attorney will perform research, draft pleadings, and make court appearances in the District and Superior courts, the Department of Industrial Accidents, and the Department of Labor. One to two years of experience are preferred, and the salary will be commensurate with experience. Health and dental insurance are available.
Send resumes only to dixonlaw@verizon.net. Phone calls will not be accepted.