Expertise
Communication between the public, media, justice systems, and academia; The Role and Perspective of the Trial Judge, Dispute resolution; Sentencing and criminal justice
Research Interests
The causes and solutions for crime. The role of the trial judge and the courts.
Education
- Certificate of Completion: Negotiation, Mediating Civil Disputes, Harvard Law School
- Juris Doctor (J.D.,) Boston University School of Law
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.,) Johns Hopkins University
Biosketch
I have the privilege of teaching criminal law to UMass Lowell undergraduates, I mediate civil cases, and I provide frank legal analysis to the professional media often defending line trial judges because:
- they cannot respond, and
- no one else provides a consistent and knowledgeable defense.
I was a Massachusetts judge for 21 years, 16 on the Massachusetts Superior Court, and five on the Boston Municipal Court. I was a trial lawyer for 16 years before that. I chaired the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission when it passed the only overhaul of the Massachusetts Sentencing Guidelines in 21 years. I have participated in numerous initiatives on sentence ranging from local to national. I've taught many different courses, both online and in-person, and I've taught in Massachusetts, at the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada, and in Sichuan, China as a Fulbright Senior Specialist.
Selected Awards and Honors
- 2021 Haskell Award for Excellence in Teaching from the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies. Selection is 100% based on student nominations.