Upon learning that the Honorable Paula M. Carey — currently Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court — has been appointed to serve as the new Chief Justice of the Trial Court, effective July 16, 2013, Boston Bar Association President J.D. Smeallie issued the following statement:
“Chief Justice Paula Carey is a superb choice for which we thank the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court. Her leadership of the Probate and Family Court over the past seven years has been exemplary. Implementing important reforms where necessary, she kept the court functioning amid woefully inadequate funding, too few judges, many, many self-represented litigants and a fraction of the staff needed to handle the thousands of cases handled in that court each year.
Chief Justice Carey has a well-earned reputation for innovation and cooperation with both judges and line staff, and we look forward to working with her in her new position.”
In 2011, the Boston Bar Association awarded Chief Justice Carey its Citation of Judicial Excellence.