Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly articles from March 2004

Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly archives from March 2004

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

Mass. Supreme Judicial Court Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals G.L.c. 211, Sect. 3 Petition - Availability Of Other Relief Where a petitioner seeks relief from two court orders, his petition should be denied because of the availability of...

Mass. Superior Court Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Contempt - Conveyance Of Property Where a defendant has refused to comply with two court orders requiring the defendant to convey certain property to the plaintiff, a...

U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Rights Excessive Force - Pepper Spray Where (1) an emotionally disturbed man entered a liquor store with an axe and briefly held two employees hostage, (2) police officers, who...

Commentary: the purpose of 'purpose trusts'.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Alexander A. Bove Jr. and Melissa Langa Raise your hand if you remember the three elements of a trust from your law school class on trust law. If you're thinking: a trustee, a corpus and one or more beneficiaries, you would be...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 1, 2004: Partygoer hurt when second-floor deck collapses.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $400,000 Settlement The plaintiff was a 22-year-old college student attending a graduation party on or about Aug. 13, 1999, on the second floor of a three-story apartment. She was standing on...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 1, 2004: Co. dissolves, partners disagree on value of business.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $208,000 Settlement The parties in this case were the only two partners in an architectural/engineering firm on the South Shore. The plaintiff was a 30-percent owner in the business, with the...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 1, 2004: Fired employee claims age bias, contract breach.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $85,000 Settlement After a six-month trial period, the defendant, a 48-year-old computer systems analyst, was hired in April 2003 by the plaintiff employer as a permanent employee pursuant to...

MA Lawyers in the News: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff New Associations Georgia Petropoulos, a former assistant district attorney in Plymouth County; Karen F. Murray, formerly of the law offices of Daniel F. Clifford in Bridgewater; and Martha J....

Plan would relieve MA Bar of baseless ethics claims.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Lisa Bruno Massachusetts lawyers who have been cleared of ethical charges by the Office of Bar Counsel will no longer need to worry about complainants' requests for "additional review" under a new proposal. The measure is...

U.S. District Court Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Damages Default Judgment - Interception Of Cable Television Where a defendant has defaulted in a case in which he is charged with using "a statutorily prohibited electronic device...

District Court/Boston Municipal Court Appellate Division Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Pro Se Defendants - Misconduct At Trial Where a judge entered judgment against the two defendants in a case arising out of a dog bite, the entry of judgment was warranted in...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: 'Goodridge' judges should reverse themselves.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall states in the Goodridge case that the marriage statute "does not survive rational basis review..." She is clearly...

Comments due March 19 for 1st Circuit's proposed changes to operating procedures.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff OFFICE OF THE CLERK UNITED STATESCOURT OF APPEALS FOR THE FIRST CIRCUIT RICHARD CUSHING DONOVAN CLERK JOHN JOSEPH MOAKLEY UNITED STATES COURTHOUSE 1 COURTHOUSE WAY,...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 1, 2004: One-car accident results in permanent injuries.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Defense Verdict This case involved a motor vehicle collision with a tree, which occurred in Chelmsford on May 12, 2000. There were three people in the car at the time, none of whom owned the...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 1, 2004: Co. tries to cancel previously ordered shipment.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $582,000 Settlement In or around October 2000, the plaintiff, a machine shop, received purchase orders for certain goods to be manufactured and delivered to the defendant. Within several...

MA Supreme Judicial Court reinstates attorney, subject to certain conditions.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff SJC No. BD-1997-029 IN RE: STEPHEN H. MERLIN Last known address:62 Brentwood DriveNorth Easton, MA 02356 Judgment of Reinstatement entered by Greaney, J., on January 17, 2004 ...

MA Supreme Judicial Court case will determine fate of lawsuits for 'junk fax'.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Jason M. Scally The Supreme Judicial Court will hear arguments this week in a case that could decide whether Massachusetts citizens have the private right to sue telemarketers in state court under a federal consumer protection law...

MA Dept. of Telecommunications and Energy rules towns must split costs for sewage expenses.
March 1, 2004... Byline: John O. Cunningham Two towns that shared sewer facilities were required to split operating expenses and all future capital costs for all shared systems, the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy has decided in a...

U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries: March 1, 2004.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Constitutional Due Process - Destruction Of Evidence The Due Process Clause did not require the dismissal of criminal charges against a defendant, where the police, acting in good faith...

Proposal to simplify MA law for children who move out-of-state closer to becoming law.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Jeanne Greeley A bill that would simplify Massachusetts child-custody law as it pertains to children who move out-of-state just made it one step closer to becoming law, and attorneys seem thrilled about the manner in which it will...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Bar Overseers proposes changes for dismissing frivolous grievances.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Feb. 18, 2004 Editor-in-Chief Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly 41 West Street Boston, MA 02111 Re: Proposed Amendments to S.J.C. Rule 4:01 and B.B.O. Rules Permitting Bar...

Consumer protection advocate prepares to file class action lawsuit against manufacturers of condoms.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Robert J. Bonsignore has never been known to shy away from a battle. And certainly not from those that could leave other lawyers, well, shy. These days the noted consumer protection advocate is...

Court reporter devises a "video roadmap" through the criminal trial courts for non-English speakers.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Those with vivid memories of the first few days of law school -- when a stream of unfamiliar legal words and concepts exerted its numbing effect -- may well sympathize with the experience of...

Boston lawyer leaves legal profession to pursue career in sports entertainment business.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff How many lawyers get a shot at becoming a sports anchor for ESPN? One did, and he hails from Boston. Christopher P. Williams was one of 12 finalists selected from thousands of applicants...

MA Appeals Court rules landlord liable under 93A for eviction threat.
March 1, 2004... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno A commercial landlord could be found liable under Chapter 93A after construing a lease provision on utilities fees in an unreasonable manner and threatening its tenant with eviction for nonpayment, the Appeals Court...

Mass. Lawyers in the News: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff NewsMakers New Associations Michael J. Rubin and Patrick O. McAleer have joined Looney & Grossman in Boston. Rubin has joined as of counsel; McAleer has become associated with the firm....

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

Mass. Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Handicap Discrimination - Cancer - Accommodation Where a respondent employer fired a complainant employee instead of providing a reasonable accommodation for the complainant's...

Mass. Superior Court Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Civil Practice Affidavits - Timeliness Where a defendant has moved to strike two affidavits, the motion should be denied because the affidavits were timely filed. "[Defendant] Otis...

MA Probate & Family Court judge rules 'late' claim for child vs. estate is allowed.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno A suit brought against a decedent's estate to establish a minor child's paternity and her status as the estate's sole heir was not time-barred, even though the complaint was filed 32 months after the decedent's death,...

MA Supreme Judicial Court Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Criminal OUI - 'Missing Witness' Instruction Where a defendant (1) was convicted of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor and (2) argued on appeal...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Gender of marriage partners 'legally irrelevant'.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: Because I am not a gay person, it is awkward emotionally for me to contemplate a same-sex marriage. However, I believe that sex should be irrelevant to whether two people may...

MA governor signs three bills into law.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The following bills have been signed into law by Gov. Mitt Romney. The anticipated effective dates are listed but are subject to change. 33. An act authorizing the town of Fairhaven to grant an...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Surgical 'site' becomes infected, meds are ineffective.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $127,380 Settlement The plaintiff underwent a surgical procedure to remove a bone spur from his left lower extremity after an acute trauma. Within days of the procedure, the surgical site...

Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers Admonitions: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff SJC No. BD-2003-081 IN RE: PAUL J. HEALY Last known address: 55 Congress Street P.O. Box 459 Pembroke, MA 02359 Order of Immediate Administrative Suspension entered by Marshall, C.J., on...

Suffolk Probate & Family Court Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Parent And Child Paternity - Statute Of Limitations - Tolling Where (1) the plaintiff gave birth to a daughter in 1987, (2) the child's putative father died on Feb. 6, 2000 and (3) the...

MA Appellate Tax Board Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Taxation Real Property - Single- Family Home - Hingham Where an appellant has challenged the real estate taxes assessed on his partially-completed Hingham single-family home in 2002 and on...

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Discrimination - Pregnancy Where evidence indicates that the respondents terminated a complainant employee because of her pregnancy and that the respondent's alleged...

Commentary: A new plan for MA's bar-advocate system.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Plans for reforming the state's bar-advocate system have generated a good deal of controversy, with the governor's office and the Committee for Public Counsel Services split on what is the best...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Man arrested in front of son, claims mental distress.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $25,000 Settlement The plaintiff and the defendant police officer were next-door neighbors with a long history of animus for one another. The plaintiff claimed his civil rights were violated...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Elderly aunt accuses nephew of stealing from her.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $191,500 Settlement For many years, the plaintiff, an elderly yet fiercely independent woman, lived alone in her home in Braintree. The defendant was the plaintiff's nephew. In May 2000, the...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Man claims motor vehicle was stolen.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Defense Verdict The plaintiff alleged that a vehicle that he owned was stolen while it was parked near the home of a friend in Boston. It was eventually recovered and was heavily damaged....

MA Lawyers in the News: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff New Associations Michael J. Rubin and Patrick O. McAleer have joined Looney & Grossman in Boston. Rubin has joined as of counsel; McAleer has become associated with the firm. Gregory A....

U.S. District Court judge rules legal-services conflict forces counsel off case.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Jason M. Scally A tenant suing his landlord could force the landlord's lawyers to withdraw from the case where they had previously worked for a legal-services organization with which the tenant had established an attorney-client...

MA Supreme Judicial Court hears case on 'new' tort: compelled self-defamation.
March 8, 2004... Byline: John O. Cunningham The Supreme Judicial Court recently heard arguments in a case that will determine whether Massachusetts recognizes the tort of "compelled self-defamation" for an employee who repeats a defamatory statement about...

U.S. Magistrate Judges Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Evidence Discovery - Interrogation - 'Rough Notes' Where a criminal defendant has moved for production of the rough notes of federal agents who interviewed him, the motion should be...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Car, motorcycle collide at intersection.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $160,000 Settlement On Sept. 24, 2002, the plaintiff, a 20-year-old semiconductor design and engineering student at Boston University, left her home to commute to school. On that morning, the...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 8, 2004: Patient at nursing home injures legs.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $250,000 Settlement In May 2001, the plaintiff, an 86-year-old woman, was a resident at a metrowest nursing home. Records from March 31, 2001 indicated that "while being transferred with...

Former chief counsel to MA House Speaker joins Boston office of Greenberg Traurig.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff John A. Stefanini, former chief counsel and advisor to House Speaker Thomas M. Finneran, has joined Greenberg Traurig as head of the firm's governmental affairs practice in the Boston office. ...

1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Rules 'Foreign' Class-Action Case Barred Mass. Products Suit.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Jason Scally Massachusetts residents who claimed they were sold defective windows could not sue the manufacturer of the windows where the manufacturer had already reached a separate class-action settlement with consumers in another...

Cases stack up at the MA Housing Appeals Committee.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno The Housing Appeals Committee -- once a rather little-known administrative agency -- is suddenly an important forum for real-estate lawyers. Soaring demand for housing combined with a dwindling stock of available...

U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries: March 8, 2004.
March 8, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Antitrust Postal Service The United States Postal Service is not a "person" for purposes of liability under federal antitrust laws. U.S. Postal Service v. Flamingo Industries (Lawyers...

Mass. Lawyers in the News: March 15, 2004.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Professional Groups Peabody attorney and Governor's Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning has been admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States bar. She is one of 13 Northeastern University...

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: March 15, 2004.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. The Willows at Westborough v. Board of Assessors of Westborough...

U.S. Supreme Court Case Summaries: March 15, 2004.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Criminal Confrontation Clause - Marital Privilege The Confrontation Clause did not permit the state to introduce tape-recorded statements by a defendant's wife where he had exercised his...

Verdicts & Settlements March 15, 2004: Passenger Sues Driver After Crash At Intersection.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Defense Verdict This was a suit brought by a motor vehicle passenger against defendant #1, a coworker and the driver, and defendant #2, the lessee of the vehicle. Also named was the operator...

MA Supreme Judicial Court rules stop of driver at security checkpoint improper.
March 15, 2004... Byline: John O. Cunningham A state trooper could not make an arrest based on a "suspicionless" stop of a driver traveling near a reservoir that was a high-security site subject to a terrorist threat, the Supreme Judicial Court has ruled....

MA Supreme Judicial Court rules comparative negligence unaffected by settlement.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Lisa K. Bruno A jury attempting to calculate comparative negligence could not consider the actions of a tortfeasor with whom the plaintiff had settled prior to trial, the Supreme Judicial Court has held. The jury found that the...

Boston attorney sues doctors and lab for med-mal: jury awards plaintiff $1.2M.
March 15, 2004... Byline: Tony Wright Can a plaintiff's lawyer prevail in a medical-malpractice case by bringing suit against doctors and a medical testing lab -- and allowing the jury to decide who was at fault? A recent $1.2 million verdict indicates...

Mass. Appeals Court Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

Mass. Labor Relations Commission Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Labor Bargaining Unit - Library Where a union wishes to represent employees of the Seekonk public library, the bargaining unit must exclude the positions of director, associate director...

Other Mass. Agencies Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Elections Public Resources - Town Meeting Material Where (1) a town finance committee desires to use public resources to distribute certain town meeting material to voters prior to the...

Verdicts & Settlements March 22, 2004: Car Collides With Motorcycle; Brain Injury Results.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $325,000 Settlement On June 1, 2001, the 59-year-old plaintiff was injured when the motorcycle he was driving collided with the rear end of an automobile that allegedly made an abrupt left...

U.S. District Court Chief Judge William G. Young calls for e-filing in all his cases.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Jason M. Scally Lawyers who practice before Chief Judge William G. Young in the U.S. District Court will soon be required to file their documents electronically -- or face a sanction -- in what appears to be a prelude to court-wide...

MCAD award is paid after fees are pursued in MA Superior Court.
March 22, 2004... Byline: John O. Cunningham A lawyer says that his recent collection of a judgment against the City of New Bedford illustrates the practical value of pursuing prejudgment interest and attorneys' fees in court in order to enforce an MCAD...

U.S. Bankruptcy Appellate Panel Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Bankruptcy Compromise - Pre- Petition Claim Where (1) prior to the present bankruptcy proceedings, a debtor was involved in divorce proceedings with his wife, (2) the U.S. Bankruptcy...

MA Appeals Court Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Appeals Judgments Affirmed The Appeals Court has affirmed, pursuant to Rule 1:28, judgments in the following cases. Although the decisions do not appear to address any substantive issues...

MA Labor Relations Commission Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Representation Petition - 'Contract Bar' Rule Where the North Reading Police Association has filed a petition seeking to represent certain North Reading patrol officers and sergeants, we find...

Case Summaries from Miscellaneous MA Agencies: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Elections Special Assistant Attorney General - Political Activity Where the petitioner is a special assistant attorney general, it is our opinion that he is not prohibited by the campaign...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: System not 'broken'; only criticism is pay.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: I was most distressed to read your March 8 editorial, "A New Plan for Bar Advocates." To be sure, this editorial is a shocking distortion of Daniel Winslow's master plan as...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Readers deserve to know about 'conflicts'.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: I am writing in response to the March 8 editorial, "A New Plan For Bar Advocates." First, the editorial board should have disclosed that Daniel B. Winslow [the governor's...

Boston College Law School acquires gift of American legal and land use documents.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Christmas came real early this year for the folks over at Boston College Law School. BC's law library recently acquired a gift of American legal and land use documents dating back to 1716,...

Craig M. Tateronis and Ricardo M. Sousa join Boston's Prince, Lobel, Glovsky and Tye as partners.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Craig M. Tateronis and Ricardo M. Sousa -- formerly of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky & Popeo -- have joined Boston's Prince, Lobel, Glovsky and Tye as partners, bringing with them expertise...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 22, 2004: Nursing home patient injures neck during fall.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $110,000 Settlement On or about Dec. 13, 1998, the plaintiff was a patient at the defendant nursing home, recuperating from surgery for a severe cervical spondylosis. The plaintiff, an...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 22, 2004: Sheet metal worker falls, breaks tibia.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $100,000 Settlement The plaintiff, a sheet metal worker, broke his left leg after reportedly slipping on snow and ice at a construction project on which he was employed by a subcontractor. The...

U.S. District Court Judge Young issues electronic case filing standing order.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS STANDING ORDER RE: ELECTRONIC CASE FILING IN CHIEF JUDGE YOUNG'S SESSION A. Overview. In all cases, the Court is now...

Verdicts & Settlements-March 22, 2004: Library worker accuses employer of racial bias.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff $174,861 Verdict This was a judgment on action against the defendant municipality to enforce an MCAD award on a racial discrimination and retaliation case, which the MCAD issued in June 2002....

Tips from MA attorneys on how to handle a complex real-estate deal.
March 22, 2004... Byline: John O. Cunningham What does it take for lawyers to pull off a real-estate deal that has a quagmire of procedural requirements, including approval from a litany of Massachusetts agencies? Attorneys who have handled such deals...

1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Administrative Medicaid Regulation - Pharmacies Where a U.S. District Court judge granted a plaintiff's request for a preliminary injunction to prevent the defendant commonwealth of...

MA Commission Against Discrimination Case Summaries: March 22, 2004.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff Employment Back Surgery - Handicap Discrimination Where evidence indicates that a respondent law firm refused to accommodate a complainant paralegal after back surgery and terminated her,...

Claims pending before MA Client's Security Board reaches nearly three times the fund's balance.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff The Client's Security Board faces a situation this year that is both unusual and daunting. Claims pending before the CSB (which reimburses clients whose lawyers misappropriated their funds)...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: In praise of visionary judges.
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: In a recent letter ("'Goodridge' Judges Should Reverse Themselves," March 1), Owen L. O'Malley incorrectly expressed that marriage licenses were administered by the Department...

Commentary: Letter to the Editor: Allowing pedestrians to cross no longer a safe practice?
March 22, 2004... Byline: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Staff To the Editor: Before the Appeals Court decision in Woods v. Roger O'Neil, I used to stop and wave to a child pedestrian that it was all right to proceed in front of me. This was done as a...