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NEWS & PHOTOS
| ALUMNI IN THE NEWS |
 | Jayne
B. Tyrrell, JD '72, was honored in September by the Massachusetts Bar Foundation (MBF) as a "Great Friend of Justice," for her dedication to providing legal services to the poor and improving access to justice. Tyrrell's effective leadership as executive director of the Massachusetts Interest on Lawyer Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Program, has led to the adoption by Massachusetts' banks of favorable administrative policies toward IOLTA. Several years ago, Massachusetts had the highest IOLTA revenue of any other state, including those with greater numbers of attorneys.
"Jayne has worked tirelessly over the last 11 years to maximize the income for grants that are awarded by the foundation…she's been a leader in this arena on a number of fronts-forging stronger relationships with the banking community, serving as a key member of the national litigation team that fought, and won, to hold IOLTA programs as constitutional, and her myriad of other access-to-justice activities," says Anthony Stankiewicz, JD '87, president of the MBF. "She makes an impact every day." |
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Suffolk Law School graduates have long enjoyed positions of prominence within the state's political hub. That strong tradition of leadership continued when Salvatore F. DiMasi, JD '71, DPA '05 (Hon.) who has represented the 3rd Suffolk District in Boston since 1979, was elected to serve as Speaker of the House in September 2004. At his inauguration DiMasi outlined his vision for the future, telling colleagues, "I believe that government can be as good as the people who serve in it, and that government exists in order to be a catalyst for the improvement of the quality of the lives of all of our citizens. We must assist and nurture the entrepreneurial spirit that has long been the hallmark of Massachusetts."
DiMasi immediately began a historic reorganization of the House so that it might better respond to different economic sectors, embrace opportunities for growth, and improve the business climate in Massachusetts. He chose several fellow Suffolk Law School alumni to partner with him in key leadership positions.
John H. Rogers, JD '92, who has represented Norwood and Walpole since 1992, and previously chaired the House Committees on Ways and Means, Taxation, and the Judiciary was tapped as House Majority Leader in January. "The three of us working in unison with the rest of the House know that the twin principles of prudence and humanity must continue to guide us as we work to take Massachusetts to new heights and better fiscal times," says Rogers.
Robert DeLeo, JD '76, who has represented Winthrop and a portion of Revere since 1991, was appointed chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means in February. According to DeLeo, "The experience of crafting a $23.6 billion budget for the Commonwealth has been one of the most interesting, fulfilling, and difficult in my professional life."
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Michael Bolden, JD '78, former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, has been appointed an associate justice of the Roxbury division of the Boston Municipal Court by Governor Mitt Romney. Before joining DYS in 2002, Bolden served for three years as acting secretary and undersecretary for the state executive office of public safety before being specially assigned by then-Governor Jane Swift to coordinate the state response to the September 11th attacks.
"I see this appointment as the ultimate reward in a very satisfying career in public service," Bolden says. "I often compared a judge in the district court to a community referee, someone who makes sure everyone plays by the rules and resolves disputes when the parties disagree. I am confident that the lessons learned throughout my 27-year career will serve me well as a judge." |
 | Kathleen
M. O'Donnell, JD '80, is president of the Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) for 2004-2005. Since 1982, she has practiced with Marcotte Law Firm in Lowell, a general-practice firm with an emphasis on personal injury law. A major item on her agenda as MBA president, in addition to working with the legislative and judicial branches of state government, is the launch and maintenance of a Web-based judicial evaluation system in which MBA members can log on to the association's site and evaluate judges "based on fair criteria after they've appeared before a judge." Of her "humbling" new role, O'Donnell says, "The magnitude of what lawyers do each and every day throughout the commonwealth is overwhelming. It is a privilege to serve as the spokesperson for all of the dedicated and committed lawyers in our state." |
 | Diane
Murphy Quinlan, JD '90, is the first lay chancellor of the Diocese of Manchester, New Hampshire, and the highest-ranking lay person in the diocesan administration. Bishop John B. McCormack appointed Quinlan chancellor in December 2004. She began working with the diocese in 2002 during the most turbulent time in its history, as hundreds of new complaints of sexual abuse of minors came forth in the wake of the growing scandal in the Archdiocese of Boston. She helped the diocese "formulate a response to victims that was more pastoral than confrontational. I was able to talk on a peer level with the lawyers representing the Diocese and help them understand that first we needed to help anyone who was harmed."
Quinlan, who previously practiced labor and employment law at the Manchester firm of Devine Millimet, also has implemented an educational program to promote children's awareness of the dangers of abuse. "As a mother of two elementary school children, I wanted to help the Church create something that will resonate with both children and parents." |
 | Saher
J. Macarius, JD '94, a Framingham attorney and Egyptian national, successfully argued Succar v. Ashcroft before the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. The case concerned the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which curtailed many immigrants' rights and forms of relief. Through regulation, the attorney general later added another category of immigrants, including those arriving in the United States without a visa. Those who were allowed in for humanitarian reasons would be barred from adjusting their status to permanent residency (obtaining a green card), and many were subsequently deported in violation of Congressional intent.
"At first impression, Succar v. Ashcroft is a groundbreaking case solely for finding this regulation to be invalid," Macarius says. "However, this landmark case also delves further into how the attorney general and any other executive agency, enacts a regulation. This decision [entered on January 5], one of the most extensive for an immigration issue, has a direct impact on all executive agencies, as it draws a road map that dictates the proper procedure to enact a regulation." |
 | Christine
P. O'Connor, JD '94, city solicitor for Lowell since 2003, is credited with being one of the key leaders in the city's continuing renaissance. With a keen understanding of energy deregulation, she's worked to significantly cut the city's costs of electric power, and has helped to bring Lowell's bond rating to AA-3, enabling the city to move forward with its revitalization plans. As Lowell's top lawyer, O'Connor handles an enormous range of issues involving administrative law, litigation, general business practices, labor disputes, tax collections, public bidding, municipal bonds, and the public schools. Upon being named by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly as one of the Up and Coming Lawyers of 2004, O'Connor said that her biggest challenge "is always the deal I am working on right now." |
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