School of Law News
150th Anniversary of Superior Court Celebrated at School of Law
Posted November 2, 2009
In commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Massachusetts Superior Court, Western New England College hosted a symposium on October 14, entitled "Keeping Gideon's Promise," at the School of Law. The event featured judges, lawyers, and legal scholars that explored the evolution of the right to counsel by discussing the case of Gideon v. Wainright, which established the right of anyone charged with a crime to legal representation by an attorney. They compared the outcomes of that case to the case of Lavallee v. The Justices in Hampden Superior Court, which has affirmed the need for vigilance to ensure that the promise of representation is kept.
The keynote speaker for the event was Anthony Lewis, a Pulitzer Prize winning author. His talk, "Gideon and the Right to Counsel," was followed by a panel consisting of Attorney Vincent A. Bongiorni, Attorney Michael O. Jennings, and Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court Honorable Ariane D. Vuono. Moderated by U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts Judge Michael A. Ponsor, the panel focused on the case of Lavallee v. The Justices in Hampden Superior Court in discussing "Lavallee: Lessons Learned."
Later that night, the Hampden County Bar Association held its Annual Judges' Night Dinner in Rivers Memorial Hall which featured Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Margaret H. Marshall as keynote speaker. The event was sponsored by the Hampden County Committee of the Massachusetts Superior Court 150th Anniversary Program and Western New England College School of Law.
To view more photos from the event, click here or visit the Campus Photos page.
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