News and Noteworthy

Social Law Library Members save 15% off every book available on the American Bar Association Web Store.

Fastcase has recently merged with vLex and Clio, and is now being integrated into the vLex platform. Social Law Library members may have recently noticed that you can no longer opt out of the new interface by default when accessing it from our database page.

If you’d like to return the old Fastcase interface, you can do so with just a few clicks. In the top right corner of the vLex Fastcase website, click on the profile icon. A menu will drop down with your preferences. At the bottom, just above the Logout option, you can click on “Return to Fastcase 7”

The Justices and staff of the Supreme Judicial Court mourn the passing of Justice Barbara A. Lenk and they extend their condolences to Justice Lenk’s family. The Honorable Barbara A. Lenk devoted 27 years of her career to serving the people of Massachusetts as a judge, first on the Superior Court, then on the Appeals Court, and finally for nine years as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court.

BOSTON, MA – At a ceremony Tuesday at the John Adams Courthouse, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court commemorated 35 years of the Boston Judicial Youth Corps (JYC) program, an intensive court internship program that educates high school students about the Massachusetts court system and the rule of law.

Last week in honor of preservation week, we held an open house to showcase the library’s ongoing preservation efforts. We highlighted some of our own history, including history about the building and about the library members. It was also a great opportunity to show off some of the interesting items we have in our collection; including a copy of Justinians from 1567. 

All Social Law Library members have a comprehensive immigration library available right at their fingertips. AILALink is an all-in-one database that gives users access to US statutes, regulations, government memos and guidance, administrative decisions, immigrations forms, and AILA publications – all of them keyword searchable and available remotely from anywhere.

The Supreme Judicial Court and its Advisory Committee on Massachusetts Evidence Law today announced the release of the 2026 edition of the Massachusetts Guide to Evidence.

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court recommend use of the Guide by the bench, bar, and public.

The Library will host an open house on Wednesday, April 29, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM in honor ofPreservation Week. We invite you to join us as we open the stacks to showcase materials from our collection that are not typically available in the Reading Room, and to learn more about our ongoing efforts to preserve and strengthen the collection.

The Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court today announced the appointment of Sheila Creaton Kelly, Esq. as the new Jury Commissioner pursuant to G.L. 234A, Section 7.

Ms. Creaton Kelly succeeds Jury Commissioner Pamela J. Wood, who will retire in April 2026 after serving in the position for more than 20 years.
"We are pleased to appoint Sheila to the position of Jury Commissioner. She is an experienced attorney, with knowledge of the court system, and strong public management experience,” said Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd. “We are grateful to Pamela Wood for her many years of dedicated service to the system. The Justices look forward to the continued successful operation of the Office of Jury Commissioner during Sheila’s tenure.