Governor’s Council to review nomination of Roderick L. Ireland to lead Supreme Judicial Court.

http://blogs.masslawyersweekly.com/news/2010/11/10/ireland-to-go-before-gov%E2%80%99s-council-next-month/

On December 1, 2010, the Governor’s Council will interview Roderick L. Ireland for the position of chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Court – the highest state judicial authority. This nomination affects not only tort litigation, but potentially every field of law in Massachusetts.

Succeeding Margaret Marshall, who recently retired, Ireland will undergo a process in which a group of eight elected members, known as the Governor’s Council, interview, and importantly, ratify the Governor’s appointment. With every nomination the Governor makes, it’s the council that ultimately decides who receives a judgeship. Should members of the Governor’s Council side against the nominee, they have the authority to vote down his/her appointment. Although the small group of eight garnishes less notoriety than other elected positions, make no mistake, it carries with it enormous responsibility impacting the lives of every citizen here in the Commonwealth.

The panel typically meets on Wednesdays at noon. In addition to judicial appointments, the council acts on such issues as payments from the state treasury, criminal pardons and commutations, and approval of gubernatorial appointments; such as notaries and justices of the peace.

The current list of members is as follows:

Carol A. Fiola – District 1

Kelley A. Timilty – District 2

Marilyn M. Petitto Devaney - District 3

Christopher A. Iannella - District 4

Mary-Ellen Manning - District 5

Michael J. Callahan - District 6

Thomas J. Foley - District 7

Thomas T. Merrigan - District 8

A result of the recent November election, three councilor-elects are waiting to take office in early January: Charles O. Cipollini, Jennie Caissie and Terrence Kennedy.

Roderick L. Ireland is the Senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. He was appointed in 1997, and is the first African-American to sit on this bench in its over three hundred year history. Previously, he served at the Massachusetts Appeals Court for seven years, and the Boston Juvenile Court for almost thirteen years.

The Governor’s Council is expected to vent this nominee in a manner befitting the position’s responsibilities. Given the Senior Associate’s credentials, I expect they will have a difficult time finding fault in his education, background or experience.