MassBar Beat

¿Cómo puede encontrar un abogado que hable su idioma cuando su inglés es limitado? ¿Qué pasa cuando va a la corte? En éste episodio, que también está disponible en Español, conozca los recursos disponibles para ayudar a los que no hablan inglés a tener éxito en los tribunales de Massachusetts. La anfitriona, Iliana Burton, habla con la abogada Melissa A. Juárez sobre los recursos multilingües ofre...

April 2018 will be remembered as the month when lawmakers introduced the most ambitious reform of Massachusetts’ criminal justice system in decades. Signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker, the sweeping legislation was the result of a bipartisan compromise between Democrats and Republicans, with additional support from prosecutors, attorneys and advocacy organizations, including the MBA. “Criminal J...

The second of a two-part series, attorney Thomas M. Bond, chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Judicial Administration Section, talks with host Jordan Rich about appearing as an attorney in state court (Superior Court, in particular) in Massachusetts. You'll learn about the benefits of having your case in state court, get an overview of some of the most important rules, and hear insights o...

The first of a two-part series, attorney Thomas M. Bond, chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Judicial Administration Section, talks with host Jordan Rich about appearing as an attorney in federal court in Massachusetts. You'll learn about the benefits of having your case in federal court, get an overview of some of the most important rules, and hear insights on courtroom etiquette. Massac...

Elder law is more than just estate planning. As the population ages and people live longer, many will encounter important legal issues that can affect their home, health and financial well-being. In this episode, host Jordan Rich and attorney Alex L. Moschella, the chair of the Massachusetts Bar Association's Elder Law Advisory Committee, answer some commonly asked questions and discuss the MBA's...

Each day people facing life-changing legal issues are going to court alone because they don't qualify for legal aid or cannot afford a lawyer. It's created a justice gap. But there are efforts under way to address these unmet legal needs. Host Jordan Rich talks with attorneys Len Zandrow of UMass School of Law's Justice Bridge Legal Center (www.justice-bridge.org) and Damian Turco of Lawyers for A...

Ending a marriage is never an easy decision. But for those who have made the choice to divorce, there are several options available to work through the process. Host Jordan Rich talks with attorney Heidi R. Webb of Consilium Divorce Consultations about the lawyer-client relationship, the interplay between law and psychology, and the different paths available, from traditional divorce to mediation,...

The holidays can be the most demanding time of year -- especially for those in the legal community. In this episode, host Jordan Rich talks with MBA Law Practice Management Chair Susan Letterman White (Law Office Management Assistance Program) and clinician Barbara Bowe, LICSW (Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers) about suggestions for lawyers and others in the legal community on how to handle holiday s...

New Massachusetts Trial Court Administrator Jonathan S. Williams talks with host Jordan Rich about the latest court technology and infrastructure improvements, self-represented litigants, and how he's working with other court leaders and the bar to advance the Trial Court's strategic mission to deliver "justice with dignity and speed."

Mediation, Arbitration, Collaborative Law, Ombuds ... what kind of dispute resolution (DR) option is right for you? Guest host Jordan Rich talks with DR professionals Brian Jerome and Michael Zeytoonian about the benefits of DR and about the FREE programs offered throughout Massachusetts during Conflict Resolution Week, Oct. 16-20. Be a #peacemaker and join us. Visit www.massbar.org/CRWeek for eve...

From New York City cab driver to complex civil litigator, attorney Christopher P. Sullivan of Robins Kaplan LLP in Boston brings a variety of life experiences to his new role as president of the Massachusetts Bar Association. In this interview with guest host Jordan Rich, hear about Sullivan's initiatives for the coming year and why he believes attorneys are needed in the community more than ever.

The Massachusetts Trial Court issued new Child Support Guidelines for the Massachusetts, which became effective on Sept. 15, 2017. In this episode, Attorney Fern Frolin of Mirick O'Connell, a member of the Trial Court's 2016-2017 Child Support Guidelines Task Force, talks with MassBar Beat host Jordan Rich about some of the major revisions that attorneys and families should be familiar with.

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Rising Star Award Winner Claire Valentin, a staff attorney at the Children’s Law Center of Massachusetts. inspired by her family's immigrant experience, Valentin advocates for unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America who flee their home countries seeking humanitarian protections in the U.S.

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Rising Star Award winner Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies of Community Legal Aid in Worcester. She oversees Community Legal Aid’s medical-legal partnership with UMass Memorial Health Care, working with clinical partners and medical providers to help represent low-income clients seeking pro bono assistance with special education nee...

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Pro Bono Award for Law Firms winner K&L Gates. Firm partners Andrew Glass and Sean Higgins discuss the firm's work with the Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) program, where attorneys represent unaccompanied minors who have fled violent situations in their home countries. They also discuss their firm's work with the Internatio...

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Legal Services Award honoree Brian Flynn, an attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services who has dedicated his career to advocating for low-income workers with disabilities and recipients of public benefits. Flynn believes it’s important to do "systemic advocacy," because the work he does for one client can potentially affec...

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Pro Bono Publico winners Andrew Troop of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and his former colleague Christopher Mirick, who is now at Harvest Power Inc. While colleagues at Pillsbury Winthrop, Troop and Mirick worked together with Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS) to achieve successful outcomes in two notable pro bono cas...

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Defender Award winner Rebecca Jacobstein, a staff attorney in the Appeals Unit of the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Jacobstein has been relentless in the pursuit of justice for both her clients and thousands of others affected by the Sonja Farak drug lab scandal. While she will be the first to tell you that she’s...

Part of our 2017 Access to Justice Award Series, this podcast features 2017 Prosecutor Award Winner Kevin Curtin, a 22-year veteran of the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, whose strong moral compass led him to stand up for global issues of justice through his work with the Massachusetts Bar Association and American Bar Association.

Learn about "Defamation," an interactive courtroom drama that encourages its audience to examine stereotypes and perceptions of bias in the play, the legal system and beyond. Hear from Boston-area high school students and lawyers who watched the play last fall during the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association's annual presentation of "Defamation." The Massachusetts Bar Association was a sponsor o...

Homeless Court is a specialty court in Massachusetts that gives homeless individuals with minor infractions a chance to clear their records and get a new start. Leaders from the Massachusetts Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division had an opportunity to visit this "court of second chances" at the Pine Street Inn shelter in Boston. Listen in as they share observations, interviews and stories of ho...

Trial lawyer Richard P. Campbell, one of the co-authors of the Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyers Journal's Privilege to Practice ethics column, relates the tale of a once-prominent attorney's fall from grace as a cautionary reminder about lawyers' ethical obligations to their clients AND their law firm colleagues -- and how you do need to sweat the small stuff.

Listen to highlights and excerpts from the 2016 State of the Judiciary Address, hosted by the Massachusetts Bar Association at the John Adams Courthouse in Boston on Oct. 20. This year's installment of this annual event featured remarks from Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey, Trial Court Administrator Harry Spence and MBA President Jeffrey Cata...

Veteran trial lawyer Christopher Kenney of Kenney & Sams PC in Boston, discusses how your attire, body language, tone of voice and other nonverbal cues can impact a judge or jury at trial. Kenney, who is also MBA Treasurer for 2015-16, shares practical tips from his own experience and from author Sonya Hamlin's book, "Now What Makes Juries Listen."

In this inaugural broadcast of the MassBar Beat, Massachusetts Bar Association President Jeffrey Catalano talks about his time in the theater, and how it has informed his vision of leadership.