Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has put forward three names for consideration to become Associate Justices of the Probate and Family Court. The nominees, attorneys Jennifer Bingham, Colleen Carroll, and Caryn Mitchell-Munevar, were announced in a press release on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Following this announcement, the Governor's Council will take on the task of confirming the appointments.
"The people of Massachusetts deserve judges who will safeguard our rights and values and uphold the rule of law," stated Governor Healey. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll supported Healey's decision, expressing her eagerness to collaborate with the Governor’s Council to confirm these nominees. These appointments come as part of Governor Healey's ongoing efforts to bolster the state's Probate and Family Court, known for handling sensitive cases involving families and children, such as divorce, child support, and wills, as per the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Healey's recent appointments have increased the court's capacity, with Manisha Bhatt, Bernadette Stark, Michelle Yee, Jessica Dubin, Alexandra Flanders, Mikalen Howe, and Carla Salvucci joining as Associate Justices earlier in her term. The Governor also appointed two registers of probate, Stephanie L. Everett for Suffolk and Mark Ames for Hampshire. The cumulative efforts demonstrate a concerted effort to strengthen the state's judicial system in areas of critical personal impact for its residents.
Each of the new nominees brings extensive legal experience to the table. According to the same Commonwealth of Massachusetts press release, Jennifer A. Bingham's background in domestic relations and leading Bingham Dispute Resolution highlights her expertise in family law and alternative dispute resolution. Colleen Carroll, a diligent assistant judicial case manager and avid rower, has over two decades of domestic relations and criminal defense practice. Caryn Mitchell-Munevar, who is currently serving with Northeast Legal Aid in Lowell, has two decades of teaching law to her credit and is active in pro bono projects and legal education communities.
The nominees' combined experience is positioned to enrich the Probate and Family Court's mission to "deliver timely justice to the public by providing equal access to a fair, equitable, and efficient forum" for resolving family and probate disputes. As the process of confirmation moves ahead, the residents of Massachusetts wait to see how these potential new judges will influence the court's future direction and uphold the commitment to justice and equality under the law, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
