M A S S A C H U S E T T S
LAW YERS JOURNAL Volume 24 | Number 4 | Mar/Apr 2017
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NEW JUDICIARY COMMITTEE CHAIR DRAWS ON LAWYER-MEDIATOR BACKGROUND
tate Representative Claire D. Cronin, a Democrat representing the 11th Plymouth District, is the new House chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, after her appointment this term by House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo. Her new role is a prestigious leadership position that is of vital importance to the bench and bar. Cronin was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 11th Plymouth District, which includes both Brockton and Easton, on Nov. 6, 2012. Cronin began her career at Wynn and Wynn PC in Raynham, and she went on to maintain a sole practice in Brockton up until the time she was sworn in as a member of the House of Representatives. She has been affiliated with Commonwealth Mediation since 2002, where she has arbitrated and mediated cases involving a wide range of issues, most notably the landmark settlement of the Massachusetts clergy sexual abuse cases. “Representative Cronin brings a wealth of legal experience to her new leadership role, including more than a decade of working as a mediator and arbitrator,” said MBA Chief Legal Counsel Martin W. Healy. “In fact, her work as a neutral on emotionally charged and complex issues offers a glimpse at what may be her most valuable skill — the ability to bring people to a consensus.” Cronin previously served as vice chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary where she worked on key legislation in the committee, including family law, civil rights issues and legislation criminalizing the trafficking of Fentanyl. Cronin also served on the Joint Committee on Ways and Means, the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, the House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technology, and the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs. Well-regarded by the bar, Cronin earned the 2016 MATA Legislative Leadership award from the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys. In 2015, she received the Beacon of Justice Award from the Equal Justice Coalition for her support of legal aid. “Her work on behalf of those most in need of legal services was, and is, exemplary,” said John Carroll, who was chair of the EJC in 2015 and presented Cronin with her award. “Now she is about to assume the weighty responsibilities of House Chairperson of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. She has the two most important virtues we, as citizens, could hope for in that position: fairness and compassion. Representative Cronin is the embodiment of those two virtues. Combined with her capacity for hard work, the House would be hard pressed to 6 find a better choice.”
Rep. Claire D. Cronin (D-Plymouth), House Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.
HUNDREDS GATHER AT ANNUAL ‘WALK TO THE HILL’
MBA WEIGHS IN ON NATIONAL ISSUES PAGE 8
INSIDE
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PRESIDENT'S VIEW: HOUSING COURT: HERE EVERYONE BENEFITS
PAGE 12
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CONGRESSMAN KENNEDY TO RECEIVE 2017 JUSTICE AWARD
SECTION REVIEW
• ACCESS TO JUSTICE • DISPUTE RESOLUTION • LABOR & EMPLOYMENT
• LAW PRACTICE MANAGEMENT • PUBLIC LAW
SEE PAGE 2 FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF THIS ISSUE’S CONTENTS.