News
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane Statement on the Passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane expresses its condolences to the family of justice Ginsburg, a caring and intellectually powerful woman.
As a justice, lawyer, and teacher she stood for the principles that enhanced the civil rights of women and men of all color, rights of equal pay between the sexes, the rights to healthcare and the basic rights of criminal defendants.
Justice Ginsburg knew what it was to be a women in a male dominated profession and as a law student, lawyer and aspiring judge in the fifties sixties and seventies as only the second women appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States.
There will be only one Justice Ginsburg, but she certainly was a beacon for all women lawyers. MHTL is proud to second her unquestioned legal accomplishments and her example as what can be accomplished in her professional lifetime as a lawyer.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Partner Prevails in U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Attorney Felicia Vasudevan, a partner at Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP, received a favorable decision on behalf of her client, Marshfield Public Schools. The Plaintiff appealed the district court’s judgement that upheld a decision of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals (“BSEA”). However, as the notice was filed more than 30 days after entry, the First Circuit ultimately dismissed the appeal for being untimely. The Plaintiff also appealed the district court’s order, denying her motion to vacate. Read More
New Features of Public Participation at School Committee Meetings
Following our Alert from March 16, 2023, Civility is Dead – The Supreme Court Rules Municipal Control of Public Speak Limited to Reasonable Time/Place/Manner Restrictions, which discussed the holding to the Supreme Judicial Court’s decision in Barron v. Kolenda and the Town of Southborough (SJC-13284), we promised to bring you more detailed guidance on developing a Public Speak policy for your public body or municipality. The Barron case involved a constitutional challenge to the Town of Southborough’s public comment policy, which attempted to impose a code of civility on members of the public who participated in public comment before public bodies. In Barron, the court interpreted the state constitution to mean that public bodies may request, but not require, that public commentators be respectful and courteous. Instead, a public body may set restrictions on reasonable time, place, and manner comments to ensure that the meeting retains an orderly and peaceable manner.
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