Updates
A2J Updates
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May/June 2026
*view this update in browser here* Dear Commissioners and Friends of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, As summer begins, we are pleased to share updates on several important developments. In this issue, we recap our May Commission meeting on heirs'...
April 2026
*view this update in browser here* Dear Commissioners and Friends of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, There's a lot going on in the A2J space this month, including programs featuring ATJC Commissioners and committee members at the Boston Bar...
March 2026
*view this update in browser here* Dear Commissioners and Friends of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, I hope you had a chance to enjoy New England’s brief “false spring” earlier this month! As we look ahead to the real signs of spring, the Commission...
January 2026
*view this update in browser here* Dear Commissioners and Friends of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission, As we kick off 2026, the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission is looking ahead to a busy and meaningful start to the year. Below, you’ll find...
A2J in the News
Law librarians are ‘at the forefront’ of using and educating on artificial intelligence
Read the complete article from the ABA Journal. Please note that it cannot be displayed on A2J as it is only accessible to ABA members.
Debt collectors can’t sue for ‘zombie debt.’ Here’s why.
Read the complete article from The Washington Post. Please note that it cannot be displayed on A2J because it is behind a paywall.
Norwood Library and Massachusetts Trial Court Libraries Relaunch Access to Justice Initiative
Below is the full text of a MBLC blog post. - Written by June Thammasnong FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Town of NorwoodTony Mazzucco,General Manager566 Washington St.Norwood, MA 02062 Media Contact: Rory SchulerPhone: 781-428-3299Email: rory@jgpr.net NORWOOD — Your local...
Most low-income tenants have no lawyer in eviction cases. A state initiative is trying to change that.
Below is the full text of a CommonWealth Beacon article from 04/29/2026. - by Jennifer Smith MASSACHUSETTS TENANTS FACING eviction proceedings usually walk through the courthouse doors at a stark disadvantage. In 2024, just 4.3 percent came with a lawyer, while their...
‘Placeholder’ attorneys fuel unfair debt wins in Mass. courts, new report finds
Below is the full text of a GBH article from 04/27/2026. - By Liz Neisloss A lone attorney sat in the Brighton courtroom last July. The clerk magistrate — like a judge in small claims court — called a handful of cases, one after another. Resident after resident was...
Funds awarded to help Massachusetts residents seal eviction records, secure housing
Below is the full text of a 22News article from 04/14/26. - By Beck Wehner BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has awarded more than $500,000 in grant funding to eight organizations to support the state’s eviction sealing law. These grants...