The Massachusetts Bar Association honored former Massachusetts
Appeals Court Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza (ret.) and Boston Herald
reporter Bob McGovern at the May 4 Excellence in the Law event
co-presented by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly. Rapoza
received the Daniel F. Toomey Excellence in the Judiciary Award and
McGovern accepted the association's Excellence in Legal Journalism
Award.
The judicial and media awards are among several awards given out
at the event, which took place at the Marriott Long Wharf Hotel.
Others honored at the event included awardees in the categories of
Up & Coming Lawyers, and Excellence in Alternative Dispute
Resolution, Firm Administration/Operations, Marketing, Paralegal
Work and Pro Bono.
Daniel F. Toomey Excellence
in the Judiciary Award Honoree:
Appeals Court Chief Justice Phillip Rapoza (ret.)
Throughout his judicial career, Rapoza has advanced the role of
the judiciary, both in Massachusetts and around the world.
Rapoza received a B.A. in history, magna cum laude, from Yale
College and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. Thereafter he served as
an assistant district attorney in Suffolk and Bristol counties, and
was a partner in law firms in Fall River and New Bedford. Beginning
in 1992, he served as a trial judge in the District Court and,
subsequently, the Superior Court. In 1998, he was appointed to the
Appeals Court, where he served for almost 17 years, nine of which
as the court's chief justice. Leading the court during tough
economic times, he emphasized greater use of its IT resources,
expanding public access through the court's website, increasing the
automation of court operations, and laying the groundwork for the
e-filing of appeals.
Prior to his appointment as chief justice, he took an unpaid
leave of absence to work for the United Nations in East Timor as
the head international judge on the Special Panels for Serious
Crimes. The SPSC was a war crimes tribunal established to prosecute
crimes against humanity and other serious crimes committed in East
Timor during the period leading up to the country's independence.
In his published memoirs, the former head of the UN mission in East
Timor described Rapoza as a "tower of strength" in the war crimes
process.
Rapoza has subsequently traveled on numerous occasions to East
Timor to assist in the development of the country's justice system.
Since his retirement in 2015, he has returned to lead programs on
judicial independence and to conduct trainings of Timorese judges.
Most recently, he was instrumental in helping to establish East
Timor's first judges' association.
Prior to his retirement from the Appeals Court, Rapoza was
appointed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to serve as the
international reserve judge on the Supreme Court Chamber of the
UN-backed war crimes tribunal in Cambodia, a position that he
continues to hold. The tribunal was established to bring to justice
senior leaders and those most responsible for the deaths of as many
as two million Cambodians during the rule of the Khmer Rouge.
Rapoza was recently re-elected to a second five-year term as
president of the International Penal and Penitentiary Foundation,
which is headquartered in Switzerland and promotes studies around
the world in the field of crime prevention and the treatment of
offenders. As president of the IPPF, Rapoza was invited to a
private audience with Pope Francis in 2014 to discuss the
challenges presented by mass incarceration.
Chief Justice Rapoza has received numerous awards and other
recognition for his judicial work. In addition to several honorary
doctor of law degrees, he has received the MBA President's Award
for Judicial Excellence and the Haskell Cohn Award for
Distinguished Judicial Service from the BBA. Internationally, he
has been decorated by the president of Portugal, who awarded him
the rank of Commander in the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator.
He has also received the Brazilian Medal of International
Merit.
"While leading the Appeals Court, Chief Justice Rapoza ushered
in an era of openness and transparency by expanding its sessions to
the four corners of the commonwealth," said Massachusetts Bar
Association Chief Legal Counsel Martin W. Healy. "As a true
missionary for justice and the rule of law, Rapoza selflessly took
on international criminal justice work in developing countries on
behalf of the United Nations. In short, he has created an
impressive legacy both here and beyond our borders."
Excellence in Legal
Journalism Award: Bob McGovern, Boston Herald
Bob McGovern is the Boston Herald's legal columnist and
also works as a reporter for the paper. During his time with the
Herald, McGovern has covered everything from high-profile
murder trials to "Deflategate" in his Full Court Press column. He
also keeps an eye on legal stories that frequently go unnoticed by
the media - the inside baseball of the Massachusetts legal
system.
When he's not in court, talking to attorneys or following the
federal docket, McGovern is often on the street covering breaking
news. He has covered presidential campaigns, fires, murders and
even a few college football games. A graduate of the New England
School of Law, McGovern joined the Herald's editorial staff in 2013
after working as an attorney in Boston.
"Bob McGovern has contributed a fresh and informed voice to the
Boston Herald's coverage of big cases and other important
legal news, particularly through his Full Court Press column," said
Healy. "Using his unique perspective as a lawyer and a reporter,
McGovern has excelled at bringing readers the story behind the
story."