I attended the Governor's Council meeting yesterday morning,
and came away shaking my head.
Some context: at the Council meeting yesterday, the
nomination of Joe Berman for a seat on the Massachusetts bench was hotly discussed.
(Full disclosure: Joe is friend. In addition, my law firm has worked
side-by-side with Joe as co-counsel, so I know him both personally and
professionally.)
Joe is a clearly-qualified candidate, with degrees (cum
laude) from both Dartmouth and Michigan Law.
Joe is a vigorous advocate who nonetheless holds himself to the highest ethical
standard. He has received the
President’s Award from the Boston Bar Association for his pro bono work. His peers have voted him one of the Top 100 lawyers in New England.
Let me say that again: his peers voted him one of the best
100 lawyers in all of New England.
No one at the Council hearing yesterday, nor to my
knowledge, in any previous hearing, has raised questions about Joe’s
qualifications.
I urge the Governor’s Council to confirm Joe Berman for the
Massachusetts Superior Court.
