The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Although the claim is disputed by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania,the SJC claims the distinction of being the oldest continuously functioning appellate court in the Americas,with a recognized history dating to the establishment of the Massachusetts Superior Court of Judicature in 1692 under the charter of the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
Consuelo María Callahan is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Carlos Roberto Moreno is an American jurist who is the former United States Ambassador to Belize,serving from June 24,2014 to January 20,2017. Previously,he served as a judge of the United States District Court for the Central District of California from February 4,1998,to October 18,2001,and as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from October 18,2001,to February 28,2011. Following his retirement from the bench,Moreno was counsel with Irell &Manella from 2011 to 2013. He has been a self-employed JAMS arbitrator since returning from Belize in 2017.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is governed by a set of political tenets laid down in its state constitution. Legislative power is held by the bicameral General Court,which is composed of the Senate and House of Representatives. The governor exercises executive power with other independently elected officers:the Attorney General,Secretary of the Commonwealth,and Auditor. The state's judicial power rests in the Supreme Judicial Court,which manages its court system. Cities and towns act through local governmental bodies to the extent that they are authorized by the Commonwealth on local issues,including limited home-rule authority. Although most county governments were abolished during the 1990s and 2000s,a handful remain.
Morgan Brenda Christen is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as a U.S. circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She previously served as a state court judge on the Alaska Supreme Court from 2009 to 2012 and on the Alaska Superior Court from 2002 to 2009.
Fernande R. V. Duffly is an American lawyer and jurist from Massachusetts. She was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick in December 2010 to serve as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Patrick nominated her following the elevation of Roderick L. Ireland as Chief Justice on the court. Her nomination was confirmed 4-3 by the Governor's Council on January 26,2011. She was sworn in on February 1,2011. She is the first Asian American to serve on the court. She retired on July 12,2016.
Barbara A. Lenk is an American attorney and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. On April 4,2011,Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick nominated her to that position and she was confirmed by the Governor's Council on May 4,2011. She took the oath of office on June 8,2011.
Janis M. Berry is an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court from 2001 to 2016.
Michelle Taryn Friedland is a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Maura Tracy Healey is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party,she served as Massachusetts Attorney General from 2015 to 2023 and was elected governor in 2022,defeating the Republican nominee,former state representative Geoff Diehl.
Scott Lewis Kafker is an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and the former Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.
David A. Lowy is an American attorney,academic and jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts from 2016 to 2024.
Kimberly S. Budd is the chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts and former justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.
Elspeth B. Cypher is a former justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts who served from 2017 to 2024. She is also a former justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court,where she served from 2000 to 2017.
Dalila Argaez Wendlandt is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court since 2020. She previously served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court from 2017 to 2020.
Serge Georges Jr. is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He previously served as a judge of the Boston Municipal Court from 2013 to 2020.
Patricia Guerrero is an American judge who is the 29th Chief Justice of California and served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California from March 2022 through December 2022. Guerrero was previously an associate justice of the California Court of Appeal for the Fourth District,Division One from 2017 to 2022,a judge on the San Diego County Superior Court from 2013 to 2017 and an assistant U.S. attorney in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California from 2002 to 2003. On August 10,2022,Guerrero was nominated to the position of Chief Justice of California by Governor Gavin Newsom. She is a Democrat.
Kate R. Cook is an American lawyer and government official serving as the chief of staff for the Massachusetts governor's office since January 2023.
Elizabeth Napier "Bessie" Dewar is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court since 2024. She previously served as the state solicitor of Massachusetts from 2016 to 2024. Prior to serving as the state solicitor,she had served as the assistant state solicitor under former state solicitor Peter Sacks.
