Boston Bar Association President Donald R. Frederico issued the following statement regarding Governor Deval Patrick's nomination of Roderick Ireland as chief justice of the supreme judicial court:
"The Boston Bar Association commends Governor Patrick for his excellent choice in nominating Roderick L. Ireland. The supreme judicial court is a court of last resort that makes decisions touching on family law, criminal matters, civil rights, and commercial and financial conflicts. Those decisions affect the lives of all of us, in Massachusetts and beyond. Justice Ireland has had a long and distinguished career on the bench, and we look forward to his well-deserved confirmation."
Justice Ireland was nominated to the state's highest court in 1997 and is now the senior justice.Before that appointment, he served on the juvenile court and was elevated to the appeals court in 1990. Justice Ireland was awarded the Haskell Cohn Award for Distinguished Judicial Service by the Boston Bar Association in 1990.