News
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP Invites Reflection and Dialogue on the Threat of Nuclear Weapons
Amidst military conflict between world powers, our minds stir uneasily with fears of nuclear warfare. While often they recede in times of peace, even then the specter of nuclear holocaust remains. At their inception nuclear weapons seemed destined for eternal existence, and as they have proliferated in the decades since that notion has been reinforced to the point of becoming axiomatic. Within this paradigm there arises the alarming fundamental question – accepting that we must co-exist with nuclear weapons, how do we stop the world from using them to destroy itself?
Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP believes that, despite the discomfort it may induce, we must ponder this question in earnest. What mechanisms might nations employ to prevent the use of nuclear weapons? Must they formulate a copious and delicate balance of economic or governance incentives and disincentives, and precisely how might they arrange such a structure? Or is the optimal solution more straightforward? MHTL intends to confront this issue meaningfully and generate thoughtful dialogue. We will follow with further plans and ideas in this regard. In the meantime we invite you to consider these issues and let us know your thoughts.
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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