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CHIEF JUSTICE MARGARET H. MARSHALL
HEADS NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF CHIEF JUSTICES
Massachusetts
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall
was elected President of the Conference of Chief Justices
(CCJ) and assumed her new position this week at the group’s
annual meeting in Anchorage, Alaska. Chief Justice Marshall
will lead CCJ's many initiatives to improve the
administration of justice in the fifty states and five
territories of the United States.
Concurrently,
Chief Justice Marshall became Chair of the Board of Directors
of the National Center for State Courts, the national
information and research clearinghouse and “think
tank” for state courts. It is a one-year term.
“I
am honored to serve as President of the Conference
of Chief Justices,” said Chief Justice
Marshall. “Courts throughout the country
face enormous challenges with changing demographics,
burgeoning caseloads, and fiscal restraints.
Working with distinguished leaders of courts
across our nation and sharing our knowledge
in critical areas of the law and judicial administration
will benefit all of our court systems. I am
very proud and privileged to lead this prestigious
organization.”
Established
in 1949, the Conference of Chief Justices promotes
the vitality, interests, and effectiveness
of state judicial systems through its focus
on current legal issues and judicial administration,
and development of policies and educational
programs designed to improve court system operations.
The Conference is the primary representative
of the state courts before Congress and the
federal executive agencies.
The
National Center for State Courts, founded in
1971, is a non-profit organization dedicated
to improving the administration of justice
by providing leadership, research, technology,
and education services to the state courts.
It is headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia
with offices in Denver, Colorado and Arlington,
Virginia.
First
appointed as an Associate Justice of the Supreme
Judicial Court in 1996 by Governor William
Weld, Chief Justice Marshall was named the
Chief Justice in 1999 by Governor Paul Cellucci.
Chief Justice Marshall is the first woman to
serve as Chief Justice in Massachusetts and
the second woman to serve on the Supreme Judicial
Court in its 316-year history.
Before
her appointment to the Court, Chief Justice
Marshall was Vice President and General Counsel
of Harvard University. Previously, she was
a partner in the Boston law firm of Choate,
Hall & Stewart and of Csapler & Bok.
She served as President of the Boston Bar Association
in 1991-1992.
A
native of South Africa, Chief Justice Marshall
graduated from Witwaterstrand University in
Johannesburg in 1966. While an undergraduate,
she became President of the National Union
of South African Students, a leading anti-apartheid
organization at that time. In 1968, she came
to the United States on an academic scholarship
to pursue graduate studies at Harvard University
where she received a master’s degree
in education. She received a J.D. from Yale
Law School in 1976. In 1978, Chief Justice
Marshall became a United States citizen.
Chief
Justice Marshall is a frequent lecturer and
guest speaker at numerous universities, community
groups, bar associations, civic and legal organizations
throughout Massachusetts, the United States,
and internationally. She also has many published
articles on topics related to the law.
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