Press Release  Supreme Judicial Court Announces Recent Appointments to Access to Justice Commission

BOSTON, MA — The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) today announced that the following new members were recently appointed to the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission: 

• Kate Barry, Senior Attorney in the Family Law Unit at Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS). Attorney Barry has practiced family law at both Greater Boston Legal Services and at Northeast Legal Aid, and also teaches a course on domestic violence and the law at Boston College Law School. She has received GBLS's Reginald Heber Smith Award, as well as the Women's Bar Association Emerging Women's Leader Award, and has been recognized by Mass. Lawyers Weekly among the Top Women in Law. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School, where she also served as an editor of the Boston College Law Review, and of Johns Hopkins University.
• Abeer Massri, Managing Attorney of the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence (ATASK). Attorney Massri leads a team of attorneys, law students, and pro bono volunteers who provide legal assistance to survivors of domestic violence, with a focus on the needs of Asian immigrant communities. She previously worked as a Senior Immigration and Family Law Attorney at the Justice Center of Southeast Massachusetts and as Legal Director of Urban Refugee App, where she led a team of law students and professionals dedicated to improving humanitarian aid. She holds Master of Laws degrees from Boston University School of Law and Damascus University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Damascus University. She is also a certified trainer through National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA).
• Samuel (Sandy) Moskowitz, Davis Malm.Attorney Moskowitz was a shareholder at Boston law firm Davis Malm for nearly 23 years. He remains associated with the firm as he transitions into retirement in 2026. He focused on condominium law, title issues, real estate litigation and development. Throughout his career, Attorney Moskowitz has been actively involved in public service. He has served as Chair of the Massachusetts Equal Justice Coalition, which advocates for civil legal aid funding, and as a longtime member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Greater Boston Legal Services. In 2006, he received an Adams Pro Bono Publico Award from the SJC Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services for his leadership in creating and operating the Boston Bar Association's lawyer-for-the-day program in the Boston division of the Housing Court. He is a graduate of Boston University School of Law and the State University of New York at Albany.
• Melanie L. Todman, Senior Counsel, Mass. General Brigham. Prior to joining Mass. General Brigham, Attorney Todman held positions as a partner and associate at Nelson Mullins and as an associate at Nutter. She also currently serves as Treasurer and as a member of the Board of Directors for Lawyers Clearinghouse, and previously served as Board Chair for the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice. Attorney Todman is a graduate of New York University School of Law and Carleton College.
• Rose Webster-Smith, Executive Director, Springfield No One Leaves. Springfield No One Leaves (SNOL) is a grassroots member-led organization that organizes Western Massachusetts residents impacted by the housing crisis to defend against displacement.  Among other activities, SNOL gives legal information to tenants facing eviction and homeowners at risk of foreclosure, and also helps people apply for Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) to obtain short-term emergency funding. Ms. Webster-Smith initially began working with SNOL when she was contesting a foreclosure eviction from her own home. She subsequently served as a junior organizer before becoming Executive Director. Ms. Webster-Smith also works with Community Legal Aid in support of the lawyer-for-the day program in the Western Division of the Housing Court.  

“We are so pleased that these new members have joined the Commission,” said Access to Justice Commission Co-Chair Lisa Goodheart, Esq. “They collectively strengthen the Commission with their wide range of experience in working with the courts, legal aid organizations, and community groups to address the needs of people who cannot afford counsel to assist them with issues involving housing, domestic violence, and other challenges.” 

The Access to Justice Commission, which celebrated its 20^th anniversary in 2025, was established by the SJC to provide leadership, vision and coordination for the many organizations dedicated to improving access to justice for all persons in the Commonwealth who are unable to afford counsel for their essential civil legal needs. More information about the Commission and its activities is available on the Commission's website at https://massa2j.org/.

###