The Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA) is an independent agency that conducts due process adjudicatory hearings for other Massachusetts state administrative agencies.
Orange Line Shutdown
The MBTA will be shutting down the Orange Line from August 22, 2022 to September 16, 2022.
The Division of Administrative Law Appeals, which is located in downtown Malden, is normally easily accessible from the Malden Center T Station on the Orange Line. The MBTA will be shutting down the Orange Line from August 22, 2022 to September 16, 2022.
The Division will continue to conduct hearings at its Malden office while the Orange Line is not operating. Alternative transportation will be offered by the MBTA to Malden Center by commuter rail, shuttle bus and shuttle van. If you have a hearing scheduled during this period and would find it difficult to use any of these alternatives, the Division also offers the opportunity for remote hearings to take place over the internet. That option is available to those with computers that have video and audio capability. If you wish to take advantage of this option, send a written request to the Division and include your email address, which the Division will need to invite you to the remote hearing. You may also file the request by email at dalapleadings@mass.gov.
Contact Us
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Who we serve
DALA provides a neutral forum for hearing any case in which one has the right to appeal the decision of another state agency.
Through its Bureau of Special Education Appeals, DALA also conducts mediations, advisory opinions and hearings to resolve disputes among parents, school districts, private schools and state agencies concerning eligibility, evaluation, placement, individualized education programs (IEPs), special education services and procedural protections for students with disabilities.
Welcome Eric Tennen!
Before joining DALA, Eric Tennen was a partner at Swomley & Tennen, LLP. He was a trial and appellate attorney, focusing on criminal defense, civil rights, and administrative law. A large part of his practice was dedicated to representing indigent defendants charged with serious felonies, including homicide, as well as persons involuntarily committed as sexually dangerous and those appearing before the Sex Offender Registry Board. In 2011, he was awarded the Paul Liacos Mental Health Advocacy Award by the Committee for Public Counsel Services for zealous advocacy on behalf of indigent defendants. He is also an adjunct professor at Boston University School of Law. Prior to his practice, he was a law clerk for the Honorable John Mason at the Massachusetts Appeals Court and then for Chief Justice Michael Kruse at the High Court of American Samoa. He graduated from the University of Michigan, with distinction, in 1998. He graduated from Boston University School of Law, magna cum laude, in 2001. He received his LL.M. in Criminal Law from the University of Buffalo School of Law in 2004.
Schedule of Hearings
Scheduled Prehearing Conferences & Hearings - September 2022
Scheduled Prehearings, Conferences and Hearings - August