Yesterday, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justices appointed Madchen (Maddie) S. Makara, Esq., as the new Reporter of Decisions. Her term begins on January 28, 2024, following Brian H. Redmond, Esq.'s retirement, as announced via release.
As Reporter of Decisions, Makara is to offer editorial assistance to the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court and Appeals Court; manage daily slip opinions in digital format; oversee contracts for publication of eBook advance sheets; and conduct maintenance of content on the Reporter of Decisions webpages and social media. Additionally, publishing permanent bound volumes of the official reports from both courts falls under her purview.
Starting her tenure with the Reporter's office in February 2012, Makara was initially a legal publishing specialist before her October 2012 promotion to Associate Deputy Reporter of Decisions. Earlier, she practiced employment law at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP, and edited legal treatises for the American Bar Association and Bloomberg BNA Books. Noteworthy in Makara's career is her musical service in the U.S. Marine Corps and Massachusetts Air National Guard, spanning 16 years.
Makara, a Webster native, is a University of Massachusetts at Amherst grad and alumnus of Suffolk University Law School. She currently practices in state and federal courts in Massachusetts and lives in Charlton. Her appointment as the 19th Reporter of Decisions signals her unique contributions since the office's inception in 1804.
Noteworthy, according to the press release is that the Reporter's office in Massachusetts consistently issues advance sheets—the most timely nationally. Every Thursday through Wednesday, they release all cases, and subscribers gain access the following Friday. Currently, the Reporter's office has published 490 bound volumes of Massachusetts Reports and 100 bound volumes of Massachusetts Appeals Court Reports.
As the incoming Reporter of Decisions, Makara steps into an age of technological growth rapidly altering legal information dissemination. Her legal publishing experience and previous run at the Reporter of Decisions office equip her well to adeptly maneuver these evolving dynamics.
Madchen (Maddie) S. Makara will assume her new role in January 2024, channeling the commitment and diligence of her 18 predecessors in ensuring the accuracy, accessibility, and integrity of Massachusetts's legal reports. Her appointment is a catalyst for the continuous improvement of the Reporter of Decisions office, striving to adapt to the fluid landscape of legal communication and information dissemination.
