Top: Commissioner of Probation Pamerson O. Ifill speaks during the Dec. 6 Tiered Community Mentoring event in Boston. Other panelists, from left, were Hon. David Weingarten, TCM Co-Chair Geoffrey E. Spofford and TCM Co-Chair Hon. Angela M. Ordoñez.
Bottom: Networkers and attorney mentors at the Dec. 13 Tiered Community Mentoring event in Worcester.
The Massachusetts Bar Association’s Tiered Community Mentoring (TCM) program hosted career and networking events for participants in Boston on Dec. 6 and for participants in Worcester on Dec. 13. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the TCM program, which matches mentoring groups composed of a high school student, a pre-law undergraduate student, a law student and an attorney mentor.
The networking events are one of two opportunities for all participants in the 2023-24 program to meet in person, with four other events scheduled to take place virtually. This year’s program features the participation of students from six high schools, six undergraduate schools and four law schools in the Boston and Worcester areas.
As part of the Dec. 6 event at the MBA in Boston, attendees heard from a panel that included Hon. David Weingarten, first justice at Roxbury Municipal Court; TCM Co-Chair Geoffrey E. Spofford of Lian Zarrow Attorneys in Worcester; TCM Co-Chair Hon. Angela M. Ordoñez, associate justice at Barnstable Probate and Family Court; and Commissioner of Probation Pamerson O. Ifill.
The Dec. 13 event at Worcester City Hall featured welcome remarks by Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty, Esq., and a keynote address by Hon. Diana S. Velez Harris, first justice of the Hampshire Division of the Probate and Family Court.
Dignitaries at both events included representatives of various court departments, state and federal law enforcement entities, educational institutions, private organizations, and law firms.
The Boston networkers were:
- Claudine Bala, assistant chief probation officer, Norfolk County Probate and Family Court
- Manisha Bhatt, Esq., senior attorney, Greater Boston Legal Services Family Law Unit
- Barry J. Bisson, Esq., Bisson Law
- Sharon Shelfer Casey, Esq., clerk magistrate, Cambridge District Court.
- Ticarmel Cherisme, criminalist, Boston Police Crime Laboratory
- Special Agent Karen Leck, FBI / Boston Field Office, Boston Division recruiter
- Melaine Malcolm, deputy director, Department of Research and Planning, Executive Office of the Trial Court
- Hon. Angela M. Ordoñez, TCM co-chair and associate justice at Barnstable Probate and Family Court
- Neil Sullivan, chief of threat management, Massachusetts Trial Court
- Hon. David Weingarten (keynote speaker), first justice at Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court
- Rubby Wuabu, Esq., policy and cabinet affairs liaison, Office of the Governor
The Worcester networkers were:
- Kola A. Akindele, Esq., associate vice president for external relations and strategic partnerships, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Hon. Michael G. Allard-Madaus, associate justice, Worcester District Court
- Jeff Bohn, senior inspector, United Stated Marshals Service, Judicial Security Division
- Eric Dyson, LLC president and CEO, Dyson Investigation & Associates
- Kanchana Fernando, Esq., assistant clerk magistrate, Worcester Juvenile Court
- Amy Hughes, Esq., general counsel, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
- Hahn Nguyen, probation officer, Worcester District Court
- Brad Petrishen, reporter, Worcester Telegram & Gazette
- Jose Rivera, CEO and president, Rivera Promotions Entertainment, former three-time world champion
- Rhiannon Snide, Esq., Catholic Charities, Worcester County
- Hon. Diana S. Velez Harris (keynote speaker), first justice, Probate and Family Court, Hampshire Division
- Robin R. Yancey, deputy director of security, Field Services, Massachusetts Trial Court