News
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Welcomes New Associate
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey and Lehane, LLP is pleased to announce the addition of a new associate attorney. Mariem Marquetti graduated from Boston University School of Law in May 2021 and was formally admitted to the Massachusetts Bar earlier this month. She first joined MHTL is 2020 as a summer associate and worked as a law clerk for the firm once she returned to school. Ms. Marquetti officially joined MHTL as an associate in the fall of 2021.
Prior to law school, Ms. Marquetti graduated summa cum laude from Boston University where she obtained her Master’s and Bachelor’s in Political Science. While there, Ms. Marquetti searched through historical archives and conducted multiple interviews for her research on Cuba’s involvement in the Angolan Civil War. Her interest in this historical event stems from her background as a Cuban American and her father’s participation in said event. Ms. Marquetti also participated in panels and co-lectures as a guest speaker to discuss her research findings. In addition, she conducted extensive fieldwork study in the U.S. and in Havana for her Master’s thesis: In Search of Cuban Nationalism: Transcending Borders.
Ms. Marquetti also worked as an intern with the Massachusetts State Senate, specifically with the offices of Senators John Keenan, Daniel Wolf, and William Brownsberger. At the State Legislature, she compiled research to assist the senators and their staff on drafting legislative policy, prepared state-by-state analysis on various issues, and attended multiple committee hearings and senate assemblies. Additionally, during law school, Ms. Marquetti served as a Law Clerk in the International Narcotics and Money Laundering section of the Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami, where she assisted with drafting trial motions and conducted research on various federal criminal law issues. Ms. Marquetti also participated in the International Human Rights Clinic, competed in the Edward C. Stone Moot Court Competition in 2019, served as a Preceptor for the following year’s Stone Moot Court Competition in 2020, and competed in the University of Los Angeles California Cybersecurity Crimes Moot Court Competition in 2021.
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane LLP is known throughout New England for its labor and employment practice as well as its extensive business litigation and advising employers on internal reviews and strategic legal approaches when dealing with the government. The firm also has an extensive education law practice representing public, private, and nonprofit educational institutions from pre-K through the college and university level.
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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