In her Annual Address to the Legal Community today, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall praised the partnership and communication between judges and lawyers in their efforts to improve the delivery of justice in the Massachusetts court system. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Bar Association, the event was held in the Great Hall of the John Adams Courthouse with more than a hundred lawyers, judges, and court staff in attendance.

            "The Judiciary's groundbreaking management reforms could not have come about, and cannot be sustained, without the full cooperation of the organized bar," said Chief Justice Marshall. "We often are called a nation of lawyers. In my view, this is a high compliment. Only a nation of lawyers could maintain a fierce commitment to the rule of law…only when the bench and bar work in partnership can our system of justice flourish."

            Chief Justice Marshall said the courts have solicited the views of attorneys and court employees on management reforms and have welcomed their participation in openly discussing their assessments with judges in five regional "Open Dialogue" forums held throughout the state in recent months. Close to 900 people, including the Trial Court Chief Justices, have attended the five bench-bar meetings, co-sponsored with the Court Management Advisory Board, Massachusetts Bar Association and local bar associations.

            She cited several pilot projects to provide more efficient court time with lawyers, including a teleconferencing project in the District Court in western Massachusetts and the pursuit of new videoconferencing programs with sheriffs in Essex and Worcester counties. She said that by the end of the year each Trial Court department will have identified changes to be implemented as a result of views expressed at the "Open Dialogue" meetings.

            Chief Justice Marshall credited the leadership of Chief Justice for Administration & Management Robert A. Mulligan for implementing many positive changes to court culture and operations, including time standards to improve case management, staffing models to allocate resources where needed, metrics reports to measure data on the courts' administrative progress, and surveys in courthouses to elicit the views of court users on their experiences in the courts.

            "For five years, Chief Justice Mulligan has been the touchstone for deep institutional reform of our trial courts," said Chief Justice Marshall. His appointment to another five-year term at the helm assures a steady hand through the current financial crisis, and an unbroken journey on the path to excellence in judicial administration."

            Today Chief Justice Mulligan received the Distinguished Service Award, one of the highest honors given by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), headquartered in Williamsburg, Virginia. The award was presented by NCSC President Mary McQueen to Chief Justice Mulligan for his "impressive abilities not only as a jurist but as an innovative court manager" and "for establishing a record of dedication to the justice system and working diligently to improve the public’s confidence in the courts."

            Chief Justice Marshall also discussed the financial crisis as it affects the judicial branch and emphasized that the courts will take strong measures to reduce spending without sacrificing the core mission of delivering justice. She said a Fiscal Task Force has been formed to identify cost saving measures and efficiencies across all courts departments.

            "We are committed to shouldering our fair share of budget cuts while safeguarding the essential functions necessary to maintain our mission and constitutional imperatives," said Chief Justice Marshall.

            The Chief Justice discussed the judicial evaluation program instituted by the courts to evaluate judges’ performance and encouraged lawyers to continue to complete the surveys. She said that judicial evaluations have been conducted in each county twice and each judge has received an average of 117 evaluations from attorneys. To date, the program has received 98,500 attorney evaluations, 23,400 employee evaluations, and 11,900 juror evaluations. She said that a new comprehensive program of professional development for all Trial Court judges is being developed. She also described her own experience of having a specialist critique her performance on the bench.

            Other major projects of interest to lawyers, judges, and self-represented litigants that Chief Justice Marshall discussed included the new Massachusetts Guide to Evidence, a comprehensive compilation of existing Massachusetts evidence law in one user-friendly document, which will soon be available in hard copy and on the courts’ websites, and the successful Limited Assistance Representation (LAR) pilot projects in three counties to help people who cannot afford full legal representation. She said that the LAR pilot projects have been named as a "best practice" in the national Self-Represented Litigants Network, a premier think tank on such matters.

            As a strong proponent of civic and law related education, Chief Justice Marshall described the John Adams Courthouse as a "hub of law related activities in the Commonwealth." More than 21,000 guests, including school children, teachers, lawyers, law students, international delegates, and members of the public, have visited the courthouse for tours, dramatic plays, or educational events since May of 2006.

            "How proud John Adams would be that the most significant public building bearing his name plays such an important role in perpetuating his legacy of reverence for the rule of law," Chief Justice Marshall said.