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March 19, 2024 Clouds | 35°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 16: Judicial institute; training judicial and nonjudicial personnel

Section 16. The chief justice for administration and management shall establish a judicial institute, to provide for the training of the judicial and nonjudicial personnel of the trial court, the appeals court and the supreme judicial court. Said institute shall perform and continually update a comprehensive analysis of the training needs of such personnel, and ensure that such needs are met through programs of the institute provided directly or by contract or through programs of other institutions. Programs of the institute shall include but not be limited to pre-service training for judges through seminars and through a mentor judge program, and frequent in-service training for judges and clerks, and continuing education for all court personnel. The institute shall be provided with suitable offices in the Suffolk county courthouse or elsewhere. The chief justice for administration and management may, within the limits of the amount appropriated therefor, appoint an executive director for said institute and such professional staff, clerks and assistants as it may require and may make such expenditures as may be necessary to execute effectively the functions of said institute. The chief justice for administration and management may further appoint an advisory committee for the purpose of assisting him in matter pertaining to the institute. The composition of the committee, the terms of its members, and the scope of its responsibilities shall be determined by the chief justice for administration and management.

The institute, in consultation with the bureau of substance addiction services within the department of public health, shall provide substance abuse training to personnel that helps personnel identify substance abuse treatment resources for persons charged with or convicted of a crime or adjudicated delinquent who could benefit from those resources.