Massachusetts Law Updates

Official Blog of the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries
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Paper Streets  

9/09/2025 Trial Court Law Libraries

A paper street is a street shown on a recorded plan but never built on the ground. This blog discusses people's rights regarding paper streets, their creation, parameters, and termination in Massachusetts.

A drafted property plan depicting paper streets.

I Scream for… Ice Cream Law?  

8/12/2025 Trial Court Law Libraries

There’s nothing like cold ice cream on a summer day. But did you know there's a legal definition of what can be called “ice cream”? Behind the dessert lies a structured web of federal and state regulations that determine what makes ice cream…"ice cream".

A person's hand holding a sugar cone with two scoops of ice cream.

Superior Court Rule 9A road map  

7/18/2025 Trial Court Law Libraries

Are you bringing a motion in a Superior Court Civil case?

March is Massachusetts Maple Month!  

3/12/2025 Trial Court Law Libraries

Every year, the month of March is proclaimed "Massachusetts Maple Month" by the governor. Learn more about the proclamation, maple syrup laws, and how you can celebrate this sweet month.

Four glass bottles of Massachusetts pure maple syrup.

Superior Court Lawyer for the Day in Massachusetts  

1/23/2025 Trial Court Law Libraries

This new program, which operates every Thursday, offers free legal help to self-represented litigants, or people without lawyers, in Superior Court civil cases. Volunteer attorneys provide guidance and advice to help steer people through the court system.

Man typing on a laptop.

What is a Mechanic's Lien If Not For Mechanics?  

12/02/2024 Trial Court Law Libraries

The term "mechanic's lien" is often a source of confusion as it sounds like it should be related to cars--but it's not! Learn more about this type of lien and where its name comes from.

Construction worker holding a yellow hardhat and wearing a tool belt.

Sealing Eviction Records: Coming in May 2025  

11/18/2024 Trial Court Law Libraries

A street with mixed housing in the Boston area

The Invisible Halloween Laws of Massachusetts  

10/29/2024 Trial Court Law Libraries

Did you know you can't own a werewolf in MA? Or that you have a right to know if your next housemate is a ghost? Learn more about spooky laws in MA just in time for Halloween.

Trick-or-treaters approaching a home decorated with tall pumpkin-headed figures and orange lights for Halloween.

The Quabbin Reservoir and the Laws That Shaped It  

10/16/2024 Trial Court Law Libraries

The Quabbin Reservoir, one of the largest man-made water supplies in the U.S., is a major source of drinking water for metropolitan Boston. Learn more about the Quabbin's legal history, as well as its social and environmental impact on the region.

Map of Massachusetts with focus on the Quabbin Reservoir

The Great Fire That Nearly Destroyed the Berkshire Law Library  

7/22/2024 Trial Court Law Libraries

A fire in 1869 almost destroyed all the books in the Berkshire Law Library. Many rare books were saved, and the library has two old catalogs from the 19th century that list books that may have been endangered or lost.

Berkshire County Courthouse in 1871