Dermot Meagher

Dermot James Meagher[2][3] (born October 19, 1940)[1] is an American lawyer and former judge of the Boston Municipal Court. Meagher was the first openly gay judge appointed in Massachusetts.[4][5]

Dermot Meagher
Judge of the Boston Municipal Court
In office
1989–2006
Appointed byMichael Dukakis
Personal details
Born
Dermot James Meagher

(1940-10-19) October 19, 1940
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.[1]
EducationHarvard University (AB)
Boston College (LLB)
Signature

Early life and education

Meagher received an A.B. from Harvard University and an LL.B. from Boston College Law School.[6]

He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Worcester County, Massachusetts.[7] He was in private practice various times.[8] He was First Assistant Bar Counsel at the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers and was later a volunteer member of the Boston Human Rights Commission.[8] He was a Fellow at the Harvard Law School Center for Criminal Justice which is funded by the Ford Foundation.[8]

Other activities

He is a former member of the board of directors of the Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD).[8] He is a founder and member of the Massachusetts Lesbian and Gay Bar Association (MLGBA) and was a member the AIDS Action Committee Legal Services Committee.[8] He was also one of the founders of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (LCL) of Massachusetts.[8]

Judicial service

Meagher first applied to be considered for a judicial appointment in Massachusetts in 1985.[4] In 1989, Governor Michael Dukakis selected Meagher to serve on the Boston Municipal Court.[4] Meagher was sworn in on May 3, 1989.[4] He retired in 2006.[9]

Personal

Meagher is a recovering alcoholic who achieved sobriety in 1975; he came out of the closet shortly thereafter.[5]

See also

References
  1. Finn, Marie T. (September 2006). The American Bench: Judges of the Nation 2007. Forster Long LLC. ISBN 9780931398544.
  2. Lesbian-gay Law Notes
  3. Boston College Bulletin, Law, 1966
  4. Chuck Colbert, A Judicial Orientation Archived 2011-04-27 at the Wayback Machine, Boston Spirit Magazine (November 18, 2008).
  5. Loren King, Retired Judge Dermot Meagher shares tales from the inner sanctum in his new book, "Judge Sentences." Archived 2010-09-21 at the Wayback Machine, Provincetown Banner (September 18, 2010).
  6. Judge Profile: Dermot Meagher, Martindale.
  7. University, Harvard (1970). Harvard Alumni Bulletin. Harvard Alumni Association. p. 14.
  8. Meagher, Dermot J. (December 2013). Lyons At The Gate: Further Adventures Of Judge Joe Lyons. CreateSpace. ISBN 9781481953900.
  9. Judge shares ‘Tales from the Bench’
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