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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4045 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1648
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Michael S. Day, (BY REQUEST)
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act for providing for the training, continuing training, and education of judges, and other
legal hearing officers.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Vincent Lawrence Dixon60 Lake Street Unit N, Winchester, MA
01890
1/17/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4045 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1648
By Representative Day of Stoneham (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1648) of Vincent Lawrence Dixon relative to providing for the training, continuing training, and
education of judges and other legal hearing officers. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1449 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act for providing for the training, continuing training, and education of judges, and other
legal hearing officers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 The Massachusetts General Laws are hereby amended by inserting the following new
2chapter:
3 An Act to provide for the training, continuing training, and education of judges, and other
4legal hearing officers.
5 1.) Massachusetts, as a leader in legal reform, and legal systems, has accomplished many
6important reforms, and contributed to the general structures, and processes of law. This includes,
7of course, case study law itself, many consumer protections, and many other innovations. 2 of 2
8 2.) Therefore, this Statute, establishes, and encourages, a robust formal framework, for
9the training of all judges, and other legal hearing officers. In a rapidly changing society,
10everyone, including legal officials, are especially challenged by changes in technology, social
11viewpoints, societal consensus, business operations and circumstances, and legal doctrines and
12operations.
13 3.) The Attorney General of Massachusetts, in consultation with the Board of Bar
14Overseers, and other appropriate individuals, and organizations, is empowered, to establish
15Judicial Training: defined as suitable judicial training, judicial continuing education, training and
16education for all judicial, and legal hearing officers of the Commonwealth, including Judges,
17Magistrates, Hearing Officers, and those individuals who are members of Boards and
18Commissions, which make regulatory, and legally-binding decisions.
19 4.) All individuals, meeting the requirements of this Act, shall receive specified initial
20training, at the beginning of their appointments, and regular update training, on a yearly basis, as
21specified in such needed regulations, as the Attorney General, shall create, and monitor, in
22conjunction with the relevant supervising justices, of each appropriately defined judicial system.