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Scott Kafker Nominated to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

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Scott Kafker Nominated to Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court

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Since 2015, Scott Kafker has served as chief justice of the Appeals Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. In this position, he oversees 25 justices who handle up to 2000 cases each year. In late June, Massachusetts Governor Charlie L. Baker nominated Scott Kafker for a seat on the seven-member Supreme Judicial Court, the highest court in the state.

Governor Baker cited a number of reasons for the nomination, including the nearly 1,000 decisions that the Chief Justice has authored and his tireless work in modernizing and improving Massachusetts courts. In addition, Kafker established a pro bono appellate clinic that serves the needs of self-represented litigants.

If Kafker is approved, he would become the fifth person appointed by Governor Baker to the Supreme Judicial Court. The tenure of the five members would outlast the governor’s term. Since assuming office in 2015, the governor has nominated 76 judges to the courts, 71 of whom have earned confirmation by the Governor’s Council. Three of these nominees are still undergoing the confirmation process.

Kafker is slated to fill the seat occupied by Justice Geraldine Hines, who will reach the state-mandated retirement age of 70 later in the year.

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What Is the Function of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court?

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What Is the Function of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court?

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After serving as an associate justice on the Massachusetts Appeals Court for nearly 15 years, Scott Kafker was appointed as chief justice in 2015 by Governor Charles L. Baker. In June, Baker nominated Scott Kafker to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Kafker is nominated to replace Justice Geraldine Hines on the highest court in the state.

Operating since 1692, the Supreme Judicial Court interprets the oldest written constitution in the world that is still functioning. The court has a chief justice and six associate justices appointed by the governor. The executive council must consent to all appointments. Once appointed, justices hold their positions until the mandatory retirement age of 70.

From September to June, the justices hear appeals on both civil and criminal cases. In addition, single justice sessions take place each week for motions, bail reviews, bar admissions, discipline meetings, and more. Each justice oversees the sessions on a rotating schedule.

Each year, the court writes over 200 decisions, and single justices make decisions in about 600 cases. While the court primarily serves an appellate function, it also maintains responsibility for general superintendence of the bar and the state's judiciary. When asked, the court provides advisory opinions to the governor and the legislature.

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The University of Chicago Law School - Training Tomorrow’s Leaders

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The University of Chicago Law School - Training Tomorrow’s Leaders

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After nearly 15 years as an appellate judge in Massachusetts, Scott Kafker was appointed by Governor Charles L. Baker to the role of chief justice of the state’s Appeals Court. Scott Kafker earned his juris doctor from the University of Chicago Law School and has remained actively involved with his alma mater, where he served as an associate editor of its law review. This involvement after law school included service of the law schools visiting committee

Beyond producing excellent lawyers, the University of Chicago Law School prepares its students to become leaders in their fields. Part of this training happens through the Kapnick Leadership Development Initiative, which was instituted in 2014. Developed for first-year law students, the initiative, based on a similar program created at the university’s business school, provides a systematic introduction to leadership.

The Kapnick Initiative starts with an off-site retreat before classes even begin. The retreat provides leadership challenges, team-building exercises, and an opportunity for networking with classmates. Over the course of the academic year, students complete specific modules related to different aspects of leadership, such as public speaking, personality, and persuasion. When students enter their second year, they have the chance to become facilitators for these programs.

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Gov. Charlie Baker today will nominate Scott Kafker, the chief of the state's appellate court, to the Supreme Judicial Court, according to a government official close to the decision.

Kafker, who Baker tapped to head the appeal court two years ago, will be formally introduced as the selection at an afternoon press conference. He's slated to replace Judge Geraldine Hines, who hits the mandatory retirement age this fall.

If the pick is approved by the Governor's Council, Baker will have installed five of the seven judges on the state's highest court.

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Charlie Baker to nominate Scott Kafker to Supreme Judicial Court

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Gov. Charlie Baker today will nominate Scott Kafker, the chief of the state's appellate court, to the Supreme Judicial Court, according to a government official close to the decision.Kafker, who Baker tapped to head the appeal court two years ago, will be formally introduced as the selection at an afternoon press conference.

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Scott Kafker, '85, Sworn in as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court | University of Chicago Law School

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Appeals Court Judge Scott Kafker of Swampscott, who three weeks ago became Gov. Charlie Baker's first judicial nominee, was confirmed on Wednesday by the Governor's Council to lead the Appeals Court as its next chief justice.

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The Massachusetts Appeals Court is the intermediate appellate court of Massachusetts. It was created in 1972 as a court of general appellate jurisdiction. The court is located at the John Adams Courthouse at Pemberton Square in Boston, the same building which houses the Supreme Judicial Court and the Social Law Library.

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The American Law Institute is the leading independent organization in the United States producing scholarly work to clarify, modernize, and otherwise improve the law.

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Scott Kafker, Massachusetts Appeals Court: Profile & Biography - Bloomberg

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Scott Kafker is Chief Justice at Massachusetts Appeals Court. See Scott L Kafker's compensation, career history, education, & memberships.

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Scott Kafker is a Member of the Board of Trustees at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

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Scott L. Kafker Profile by Martindale-Hubbell. Find Scott L. Kafker contact information, experience and credentials, peer review ratings etc.

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The Growing Role of Technology in the Legal Sector

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The Growing Role of Technology in the Legal Sector

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Scott Kafker has served as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court since 2015, when Governor Charles L. Baker appointed him to that position on the court which decides the vast majority of criminal and civil appeals brought forth in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As Chief Justice, he has spearheaded efforts to improve the court's technology allowing the court to keep pace with major changes in the legal profession.

A number of emerging trends in legal technology are allowing legal professionals to save valuable time and resources, increase the efficiency of their operations, and offer improved service to their clients. For example, as mobile devices become more advanced, attorneys are increasingly relying on mobile technology to manage their practices while on the go. Cloud technology has allowed legal professionals to work seamlessly across multiple digital platforms, thus helping firms more easily scale their IT frameworks to meet their changing data storage needs. At the same time, advances in data analytics are enabling legal professionals to more efficiently manage the massive amounts of information inherent to legal processes.

From basic client information to in-depth case research, analytics tools can speed up the management and review of various types of data. Data analytics can present even more value when paired with emerging artificial intelligence platforms, which can draw on data analysis to provide predictive support for the development of legal strategies, review of discovery, and more.

As technology becomes a more prominent part of the legal profession, cybersecurity is also an increasingly vital consideration. Although the legal industry continues to work to establish formal guidelines for data management, it is important for legal professionals to carefully manage where they store their information, how long they keep it, and who has permission to access it.

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Scott Kafker Boston, MA, US Scott Kafker's Extensive Legal Experience in Massachusetts Since earning his juris doctor from the University of Chicag...

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Scott Kafker | Chief Justice at Commonwealth Of Massachusetts

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Sworn in as chief justice in 2015, Scott Kafker has over 15 years of experience with the Massachusetts Appeals Court, 14 of which ...