SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — District 8 Governor's Councillor Tara Jacobs will be holding a public hearing to gather testimony on the nomination of Springfield attorney Tracy E. Duncan to associate justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court.

 

The hearing is scheduled for Monday, Oct. 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Blakely Law Center's Moot Courtroom at Western New England University.

 

"I am grateful to Governor Healey and her administration for recognizing the need for Western Massachusetts to be represented in our judiciary," said Jacobs. "A hearing here in the part of the state that is most familiar with her professional record will let the public contribute their knowledge of attorney Duncan's work and character to the process of confirming her nomination to the Superior Court."

 

The public is invited to attend to offer testimony in favor of, or in opposition to, the nomination. Written testimony can be submitted in advance to Jacobs at Tara.J.Jacobs@mass.gov.

 

Duncan has led her own practice for more than 30 years in her hometown of Springfield. She graduated from Lake Forest (Ill.) College and received her juris doctorate from Western New England University School of Law. Her practice has specialized in criminal defense, landlord/tenant disputes, and juvenile justice, and is primarily based in Hampden County Superior Court and the U.S. District Court in Springfield.

 

She has been active in the community and has been recognized professionally, having recently received the 2023 Distinguished Bar Advocate award from Hampden County Lawyers for Justice Inc., and is an active member of several local and national organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, The Links Inc., and the Springfield Chapter of the Girl Friends. 

 

If confirmed, Duncan would be only the second woman of color to serve on the Superior Court in Western Massachusetts in state history. Her nomination has gained significant support among the local legal community. 

 

Several of Duncan's colleagues in the law have provided positive commentary on her, including retired Superior Court Justice Tina S. Page, the first woman of color to serve on the Superior Court, who remarked that "attorney Duncan's trial experience, demeanor, and love of the law are the qualities that make her the perfect addition to the Superior Court."

 

A formal hearing on the nomination will also be held at the State House by the Governor's Council on Wednesday, Oct.18.