Dear Commissioners and friends of the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission,
I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!
I write first to introduce myself. My name is Deb Silva and I am the new Director of the MA Access to Justice Commission. I began in this new role on December 9th and have been spending my time thus far familiarizing myself with the recent work of the Commission. I come to the Commission from the Massachusetts Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, where I was Executive Director for over 8 years. I’ve spent over half of my career working for non-profits like Appleseed that are working to make the promise of “justice for all” a reality and I’m looking forward to continuing that work at the Commission!
Over the next few weeks, I plan to engage in a “listening tour,” reaching out and setting up meetings first with the Commission’s Committee Chairs and then with all other Commissioners so keep an eye out for an email from me in the new year! I’m looking forward to getting to know you all and learning more about your ideas for how we can continue to expand access to justice in Massachusetts.
In the meantime, mark your calendar for the following upcoming events:
Access to Justice Commission Meeting
Please SAVE THE DATE for our next full Commission meeting, which will take place on February 27, 2025 at 3:00 pm via zoom. Please RSVP here by noon on February 26th for the Zoom link.
Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid: January 23, 2025
Please also plan on attending the Walk to the Hill for Civil Legal Aid on January 23rd! This annual event gathers private bar attorneys, legal aid lawyers, and law students at the Massachusetts State House to ask their legislators to fully fund the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (MLAC). More information here.
Warm regards,
Deb