Supreme Judicial Court Notice Soliciting Applications and Nominations for Chief Justice of the Trial Court

Chief Justice Jeffrey Locke will retire in December 2023. Accordingly, the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court are soliciting applications and nominations for the position of Chief Justice of the Trial Court.

The Opportunity

The Chief Justice of the Trial Court (CJTC) has general superintendence of the judicial policy of the Trial Court and is the policy and judicial head of the Trial Court. In close collaboration with the Court Administrator, the CJTC works to advance the mission of the Trial Court – “justice with dignity and speed.”

The CJTC will be appointed from among the judges of the Trial Court departments for a five-year renewable term by a majority vote of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court. The CJTC, like the Court Administrator, reports to the Justices through the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.

The Position

By statute, the CJTC has responsibility for the planning, development, promulgation, and evaluation of Trial Court policies, standards, and practices. The CJTC has the authority necessary to carry out these responsibilities, including:

• Appointing departmental Chief Justices who will assist the CJTC in designing and leading transformative change to improve the delivery of justice.
• Developing, implementing and evaluating Trial Court rules, policies and programs that are designed to maintain the Trial Court's ability to deliver justice quickly, effectively and economically.
• Incorporating emerging research, experience and technology in the Trial Court’s rules, policies and programs to support and maintain the highest standards of excellence in the Massachusetts courts.
• Assisting Trial Court judges to engage effectively with community leaders and members of the public on issues that affect the delivery of justice.
• Ensuring that public officials, the media, members of the bar and the public understand the importance of a system of fair and impartial justice and the steps the courts are taking to maintain that system in a constantly changing environment.
• Engaging with the executive and legislative branches on matters related to the Trial Court.

The Expectation, Capacities and Qualifications

The Justices expect the CJTC to collaborate with the Supreme Judicial Court, the Court Administrator, and the Trial Court departmental Chief Justices to develop and implement a vision and culture that strives to continually improve the delivery of justice in the Commonwealth. This will require:

• The ability to collaborate with the Court Administrator, the departmental Chief Justices, Clerks and others in the organization to continue to build a modern judiciary to best serve the people of the Commonwealth.
• Outstanding communication, team building and leadership skills, with demonstrated capacity to be a good listener, to build consensus, to inspire a wide range of stakeholders within the judiciary, and to work effectively with members of the executive and legislative branches.
• The ability to communicate with the bar, the general public and media about the work of the judiciary, the importance and meaning of the rule of law and the principle of judicial independence.
• Demonstrated management ability to make difficult decisions and thrive in a crisis environment by quickly responding to changing circumstances.
• A keen interest in adopting innovative strategies and implementing a vision that will allow the courts to continue to adjust to changing demands in a complex society.
• The ability to develop and implement creative and effective professional development programs and opportunities for all judges.
• The ability to use data-driven decision making to establish measurable long and short-range targets for case processing and case flow management.

Applications and Nominations

Any Trial Court judge interested in the position should submit a resume and a written statement that describes how the office of the CJTC can best serve the courts and the community. The statement should describe the author's suitability for the position and include specific goals and objectives. Others may nominate a Trial Court judge for consideration for the position of CJTC by submitting the name and a statement of reasons for the nomination.

Applications and nominations should be submitted to: [e-mail]

All submissions must be received no later than the close of business on September 15, 2023.