For the second time this year, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has targeted the Suffolk Law School Clinical Programs by unilaterally forcing clinical faculty to leave by appointing them to plum judicial positions. In his most recent move, Gov. Patrick nominated Ken King (Associate Clinical Professor in the Juvenile Justice Center’s Defender’s Clinic) to a Juvenile Court Judgeship in Middlesex County. “It is true that Ken is one of the most experienced and knowledgeable juvenile law practitioners in the Commonwealth, but that doesn’t give the Gov. the right to just pluck him from our midst,” whined Jeff Pokorak, soon to be sabbatical-ing.
Asked about the new position, King stated simply “I look good in black,” clearly following the ‘say little before your final confirmation’ strategy [Governor’s Council hearing December 17th].
Earlier this year, Patrick appointed long-time Suffolk Battered Women’s Advocacy Program co-Supervisor Maureen Monks to the Probate Court.
“Yeah, WTF?!” added (by saying the words not using the letters) Ilene Seidman, Acting Clinical Programs Director. “Why is Gov. Patrick targeting our program?” Seidman wondered aloud after noting he was a Harvard Law Grad and was in that school’s Legal Aid Bureau program....
More as it develops.
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