In response to Chief Justice Margaret Marshall's announcement that she will retire effective October, 2010, President John J. Regan issued the following statement on behalf of the members of the Boston Bar Association:
"In her fourteen years as a justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, Margaret H. Marshall has achieved distinction as a jurist, a leader and a manager. She has been everything a judge should be - fair, impartial, intellectual, practical, and a model of integrity and even temperament. Well known for her tightly reasoned opinions, she is also a judge who writes to ensure that the litigants - those who are most directly affected by the Court's rulings - understand the reasoning behind decisions.
"As a leader within the Court, she has been an independent thinker who speaks her mind, but is also adept at fashioning the compromises necessary to keep the Court both collegial and productive.
"As president of the Boston Bar Association, she was a forceful advocate for improving the quality of justice in Massachusetts. As chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, she made improvement of the management and timeliness of the entire court system a high priority. Her devotion to access to justice for all and her commitment to the fair and efficient administration of justice in every court of the Commonwealth will be her great legacy to the people of Massachusetts.
"The Boston Bar Association has twice honored Chief Justice Marshall, first in 2005 with our Citation for Judicial Excellence, and last year with the Haskell Cohn Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
"Although we will miss Chief Justice Marshall's service and leadership as the head of the Commonwealth's court system, we wish her and her husband Tony well. We profoundly thank her for her contributions to the improvement of the quality of our law and court system, her sharing of her time and talent with members of the bar, her tireless service to the people of Massachusetts, and her compassion for all."