On April 23, the Supreme Judicial Court and Trial Court leaders
hosted 50 leaders of statewide, county and local bar associations
to provide updates on funding and the long range strategic planning
process.
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland
welcomed the bar leaders and thanked them for their continued
support of the judiciary's efforts to obtain needed resources and
enhance the delivery of justice. He highlighted the leadership of
the Massachusetts Bar Association and the Boston Bar Association on
the issue of court funding.
At the meeting, Robert L. Holloway Jr., president-elect of the
MBA, and Lisa C. Goodheart, president of the Boston Bar
Association, shared personal experiences on ways court
understaffing has affected them and urged their colleagues to take
action this week during the House budget debate.
Chief Justice for Administration & Management Robert A.
Mulligan provided an overview of the status of Trial Court funding
for Fiscal Year 2013. He outlined operational challenges in
providing security and full public access at many court divisions
as a result of staffing shortages. He thanked bar leaders for their
assistance through the fiscal crisis and asked them to advocate on
behalf of the courts as the FY13 budget process continues in the
Legislature.
"E-mail legislators with what you see," Mulligan said. Newly
appointed Court Administrator Harry Spence also addressed the bar
leaders.
Shifting focus, Supreme Judicial Court Associate Justice Robert
J. Cordy updated the group on the recently launched court strategic
planning process. He indicated that input from the bar will be
important in assessing the current state of the courts and
identifying a realistic future vision. He encouraged meeting
participants to engage their members in providing input throughout
the process.
"This is not a time to back away from the challenges that lie
ahead," Cordy said. Cordy explained that Cynthia Robinson-Markey,
the legal counsel to the chief justice of the Boston Municipal
Court, was serving as the court's project manager.