Born in Buffalo, New York, Justice John C. Englander graduated from Cornell University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Sciences in Mechanical Engineering. He then earned his Juris Doctor from Boston University in 1983, where he won the Ordronaux Prize for best all-around professional ability.
Upon graduation, he was a law clerk for the Honorable Bailey Aldrich of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and then for Justice William H. Rehnquist of the United States Supreme Court. He joined the firm of Goodwin Procter in 1985 and during the following 30 years as a trial lawyer, became a partner and then co-chair of the trial department, and practiced in a broad array of disciplines and business sectors, including general commercial, class action, and intellectual property litigation. He was annually recognized by Chambers U.S.A., and other publications as one of the leading litigators in Massachusetts.
In April 2015 Justice Englander left Goodwin Procter to serve as General Counsel for Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA. There he was responsible for legal advice on all legal issues facing both agencies, including litigation, real estate, procurement, labor relations, and corporate governance for two Boards of Directors.
Justice Englander has also been active in his local community. He co-founded and served on Board of the Cohasset Education Foundation, which supports and helps to fund initiatives for the Cohasset Public Schools.
Appointed by Governor Charles Baker, Justice Englander joined the court on December 6,2017.