Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall Addresses American Bar Association About Courts in Crisis

Chief Justice Marshall addresses the House of Delegates of the ABA.

        Speaking before the House of Delegates of the American Bar Association on Monday, February 16, 2009, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall said access to the nation's justice system is in jeopardy, brought on by a perfect storm of increasing politicization of the courts, eroding court budgets, and the country's crippling economic situation. As President of the Conference of Chief Justices (CCJ), Chief Justice Marshall called on the nation's bar leaders to advocate for adequate court funding and merit-based judicial selection. Her appearance at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston marked the first time in the 60-year history of CCJ that a representative appeared before the American Bar Association.

 Read the Speech