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New England Law | Boston is pleased to announce the program for its 2023 Commencement ceremony, taking place on Friday, May 19, at 11:00 a.m. at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston. The Honorable Paula M. Carey ’86, former chief justice of the Massachusetts Trial Court, will address the graduates. A distinguished alumna and ardent supporter of New England Law, Chief Justice Carey was the first to hold the position of chief justice of the Trial Court under the structure established by the Court Reform Act of 2011 and was instrumental to the Trial Court’s many advancements.

Chief Justice Carey was first appointed to the bench as an associate justice of the Norfolk Probate and Family Court in 2001. In 2007, she was named Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court. During her time there, she was instrumental in the development, adoption, and implementation of the Uniform Probate Code, which instituted major reforms in guardianship and probate procedures. Her many roles included chair of the Child Support Guidelines Task Force, the Time and Standards Committee, the Staffing Model Committee, and the Probate and Family Court Legislative Committee. She also served on the Budget Advisory Committee and as a member of the Governor’s Working Group on Child Custody Laws and on Child-Centered Family Law.

Hailed for her dedication to justice, Chief Justice Carey graduated magna cum laude from New England Law in 1986. The Boston Bar Journal noted “the quality of her attention to every person and every issue stands out as especially worthy of emulation.” 

“It is an honor, and our great pride, to welcome Chief Justice Carey as our keynote speaker for the 112th Commencement at New England Law,” said Lisa Freudenheim, Dean and Professor of Law, New England Law | Boston. “In addition to her remarkable career accomplishments, Chief Justice Carey is an active supporter of New England Law who understands that the training and support of future lawyers is a serious responsibility.”

During the ceremony, New England Law leadership will also present honorary doctor of laws degrees to Chief Justice Carey; Walter B. Prince, Partner at Prince Lobel, a former assistant United States attorney who has more than 30 years of experience in transportation, commercial law, and civil and white collar criminal litigation; and Marilyn Wellington ‘91, Chief Strategy and Operations Officer at the National Conference of Bar Examiners, who served as Executive Director of the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners for more than 11 years.