Boston--The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court today announced the appointment of the Honorable Robert A. Mulligan as the new Chief Justice for Administration and Management of the Trial Court, pursuant to G. L. 211B, §6. The appointment is effective on October 1, 2003, when Chief Justice for Administration and Management Barbara A. Dortch-Okara completes her five-year term and resumes her judicial duties as a Superior Court Justice. The Justices announced the new appointment in the Supreme Judicial Court's Thorndike Library with Judge Mulligan and his family and friends, as well as with many judges, employees, and other well wishers.

          Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said, "The Justices are enormously pleased that Judge Mulligan will be assuming the extremely challenging job of Chief Justice for Administration and Management during a pivotal era of management reform in the Massachusetts court system. Since the Visiting Committee on Management in the Courts, under the leadership of Boston College Chancellor J. Donald Monan, S.J., released its comprehensive report three months ago, we have received many thoughtful comments from our judges and staff, members of the bar, business community representatives, leaders of the legislative and executive branches, and numerous other groups and individuals who agree with us that court management reform must be our highest priority. Creating clear lines of authority, allocating funds and resources fairly throughout the system, and developing a management culture of excellence in job standards, performance, and accountability in every court, is our singular vision. I am pleased that Judge Mulligan, a proven leader who commands great respect of all with whom he has worked over the past two decades, is committed to this mission."

          Under the general superintendence powers of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Chief Justice for Administration and Management is responsible for the administration and supervision of the Trial Court, which includes these court departments: Boston Municipal, District, Housing, Juvenile, Land, Probate and Family, and Superior Courts, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation, the Office of Jury Commissioner, and the Administrative Office of the Trial Court. In cooperation with the Departmental Chief Justices and the Commissioners, the duties include the daily management of Trial Court operations, such as fiscal, personnel, court facilities, security, information technology, education and training, among others, to ensure the proper administration of justice.

          The Justices said they appreciate the numerous contributions made by Chief Justice Dortch-Okara in a most demanding job during the past five years. On behalf of the Justices, Chief Justice Marshall said, "Chief Justice Dortch-Okara has worked unceasingly to lead the Trial Court during difficult years of diminished resources and enormous fiscal challenges. She has worked diligently with judges, court personnel, legislators, and community representatives in an effort to assist with numerous administrative issues and to provide better access to the court system. Chief Justice Dortch-Okara, a superb judge, deserves our utmost gratitude and respect for her distinguished service in the administration of justice."

          A Chief Justice of the Superior Court from 1994 to 1999, a current Associate Justice, Chief Justice Mulligan has served on that Court for more than 20 years and brings to the position of Chief Justice for Administration and Management a breadth of leadership experience and expertise. Among his many accomplishments as Chief Justice of the Superior Court, he oversaw the implementation of Time Standards for civil cases; provided management opportunities for a diverse number of Superior Court judges who were appointed as Regional Administrative Justices; required racial and ethnic equality training for all judges and court personnel in the Superior Court; and instituted a leadership approach to communicate goals and expectations of each staff member in court sessions. His term was marked by achievement and high morale.

          Prior to his appointment as a Superior Court judge, Judge Mulligan was an Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court for two years. Before his appointment to the bench, he was an assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts and an Assistant Attorney General for the Commonwealth. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross and Suffolk University Law School. He also served as a lieutenant in the Army infantry in Viet Nam.

          In May 1994, Governor William F. Weld appointed Judge Mulligan as Chair of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission, a committee charged with establishing guidelines for every sentence imposed in the Superior, District, and Boston Municipal Courts. In addition, he chaired the statutory Jury Management Advisory Committee, the Superior Court Committee on Law Clerks and Interns, and the Probation and Parole Committee. In1986 and 1987, he was the Regional Administrative Justice for Suffolk County criminal sessions. He also was a member of the Supreme Judicial Court's Committee on Model Jury Instructions on Homicide. In 2002, Judge Mulligan was the recipient of the Boston Bar Association's Haskell Cohn Award for Distinguished Judicial Service. A native of Boston, Judge Mulligan, 59 years old, and his wife, Tina, have a nine-year-old son.