The Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County, also known as the single justice session, is that part of the court's business in which an associate justice acts as a trial judge-as was the function of the first justices-or as an administrator of the court's supervisory power under G. L. c. 211, §3. The county court, as it is often called, has original, concurrent, interlocutory and appellate jurisdiction conferred by the Massachusetts Constitution, statutes, rules of court and case law. Practice before the single justice is governed by the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure, SJC Rule 2:01 et seq. and pertinent Standing Orders. In reality, however, the practice has diverted from strict compliance with the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure and is presently governed by a hybrid of formal rules and historic customs and practices.
In addition to the single justice caseload, the single justice also sits on bar docket matters, which include attorney discipline and administrative matters affecting members of the bar. The single justice also presides over formal bar admission ceremonies twice a year.
