MACDL Forms Clemency Committee
MACDL has formed a Clemency Committee in response to the Governor’s new clemency guidelines, which hold promise for more relief. The Committee screens applicants and refers the most promising candidates to pro bono lawyers.
CPCS 2023 Awards Nominations Solicited
TO: Committee Members, CPCS Staff, Bar Advocate Program Administrators,
CAFL Resource Attorneys, Juvenile Bar Association, Mental Health Litigation Division Regional Coordinators, Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Massachusetts Bar Association, and Boston Bar Association
FROM: Anthony J. Benedetti, Chief Counsel
DATE: February 10, 2023
RE: NOMINATIONS ACCEPTED FOR ADDAMS, BLITZMAN, DAVIS-DUGGAN, DONOVAN, LIACOS, MARSHALL, MCPARLAND, MELLEN, SOUTO-GOYETTE, WINCHESTER AWARDS, CPCS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP, AND EMERGING DEFENDER AWARDS
Nomination Process
The Committee will present the Awards […]
MACDL Summer Internship Program
In 2021, the SJC released a report (see below) summarizing affinity bar town hall meetings, shedding light on the experiences of legal professionals from underrepresented, historically excluded and systemically oppressed populations. As stated in the report, “the burden of change cannot and should not fall on these attorneys and law students themselves, as it has for far too long.” Instead, “the burden of supporting and championing this work should […]
MACDL Mourns the Passing of Joe Balliro
By Victoria Kelleher, Past President, MACDL
Joe Balliro Sr., a giant of the defense bar, passed away peacefully on August 10, 2022. His impact on the defense community is difficult to overstate. He possessed both passion and unshakeable dignity. He remained true to the profession’s highest calling — he had the guts to challenge the abuse of authority, the intellect to choose his words carefully, and the wherewithal to bring […]
In-person Court Proceedings and Jury Trials
As COVID cases began rising as the weather got colder, MACDL president John Amabile sent a letter to the Chief Justices of the SJC, Superior, and District Courts recommending best practices for court administration (see PDF of the letter below). The recommendations were aimed at mitigating the spread of disease and making our practice more efficient. MACDL recommended statewide directives for restoring remote hearings, accepting electronic filings, and staggering […]