Barbara Lenk

Barbara A. Lenk (born December 2, 1950) is an American attorney and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. On April 4, 2011, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick nominated her to that position[1][2] and she was confirmed by the Governor's Council on May 4, 2011.[3] She took the oath of office on June 8, 2011.

Barbara Lenk
Acting Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
In office
September 14, 2020  December 1, 2020
Preceded byRalph Gants
Succeeded byKimberly S. Budd
Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
In office
June 8, 2011  December 1, 2020
Appointed byDeval Patrick
Preceded byJudith Cowin
Succeeded byDalila Argaez Wendlandt
Personal details
Born (1950-12-02) December 2, 1950
New York City, New York, U.S.
Spouse(s)Debra Krupp
EducationFordham University (BA)
Yale University (MA, PhD)
Harvard University (JD)

Early life and education

Justice Lenk was born in Queens, New York. Her parents were a bookbinder and a housekeeper. Her first language was Polish.[1] She received a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude from Fordham University in 1972, a Doctor of Philosophy in political philosophy from Yale University in 1978, and a Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School in 1979.

Career

Upon graduation from law school, she joined the Boston law firm of Brown, Rudnick, Freed & Gesmer and was a partner there for six years.[4] Her practice focused on civil litigation, with a specialty in First Amendment issues.[1]

Judicial service

In 1993, Massachusetts Governor William Weld, a Republican, named her to the state's Superior Court. She served there until Weld appointed her to the Appeals Court, where she began her service on June 20, 1995.[5] When nominated to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court, Justice Lenk was the longest serving member of the Appeals Court.[6]

In 2017, Justice Lenk found that the federal Stored Communications Act did not prevent the personal representatives of a deceased person from accessing his emails.[7] In July 2017, Lenk reported to the court the case in which it unanimously held that the commonwealth's law enforcement could not hold a prisoner solely on the authority of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.[8]

Lenk announced her retirement from the court, initially effective August 17, 2020, but she has since delayed her retirement to December 1, 2020, one day before she turns 70.[9]

Personal life

Justice Lenk has served on the Board of Directors of the Volunteer Lawyers Project of the Boston Bar Association, as chair of the Board of Editors of the Boston Bar Journal, and as a member of the Judicial Administration Council of the Massachusetts Bar Association.[5] She is a Trustee of Western New England University,[10] where she chairs the academic affairs committee,[4] and a member of the Boston Inn of Court.[11] Lenk serves on the Board of Directors for Kerem Shalom in Concord, Massachusetts.[4]

Lenk is a lesbian. She married her wife, attorney Debra Krupp, following the legalization of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts in 2004. They have two adopted children.[12][13] She is the first openly gay member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.[14] As of May 2019, she is one of ten openly LGBT state supreme court justices currently serving in the United States.

References

  1. Bierman, Noah (April 4, 2011). "Patrick nominates first openly gay justice to Mass. high court". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  2. Chabot, Hillary (April 4, 2011). "Governor names openly gay Barbara Lenk to SJC". Boston Herald. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  3. Levenson, Michael (May 4, 2011). "Lenk approved for SJC; first openly gay justice on state's highest court". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
  4. "Justice Barbara A. Lenk Nominated To Massachusetts Supreme Court". GovMonitor.com. April 4, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  5. "Massachusetts State Courts: Associate Justice Barbara A. Lenk". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  6. "Massachusetts State Courts: Justices of the Massachusetts Appeals Court". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original on 14 March 2011. Retrieved April 8, 2011.
  7. Note, Recent Case: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Personal Representatives May Provide Lawful Consent for Release of a Decedent’s Emails, 131 Harv. L. Rev. 2081 (2018).
  8. Note, Recent Case: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Holds that Local Law Enforcement Lacks Authority to Detain Pursuant to ICE Detainers, 131 Harv. L. Rev. 666 (2017).
  9. Doran, Sam (August 14, 2020). "Lenk delays retirement, keeps SJC at full strength". MetroWest Daily News, Framingham, MA. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  10. "Western New England University: Board of Trustees 2010-2011". Archived from the original on October 28, 2010. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  11. "Boston American Inn of Court: 2010-2011 Membership Directory". Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  12. Bierman, Noah (April 5, 2011). "Another unprecedented SJC pick". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 5, 2011.
  13. Colbert, Chuck (November 18, 2008). "A Judicial Orientation". Boston Spirit Magazine. Archived from the original on April 27, 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  14. Goodnough, Abby (April 4, 2011). "Lesbian Judge Chosen for Top Massachusetts Court". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
Legal offices
Preceded by
Judith Cowin
Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
2011–2020
Succeeded by
Dalila Argaez Wendlandt
Preceded by
Ralph Gants
Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Acting

2020
Succeeded by
Kimberly S. Budd
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