Get Involved
Attend a Meeting
Our meetings are open to the public, and we welcome anyone who is interested to attend. Please note that all discussion must be limited to the topics listed on the agenda.
Upcoming Meetings
The next meeting is scheduled for September, please check back in August for more details!
Previous Meeting
Our most recent meeting was held on May 20th from 3:00 – 4:30 pm at the SJC Conference Suite (room 2-100) on the second floor of the the John Adams Courthouse at 1 Pemberton Square, Boston.
Judge Dina Fein (ret.), Assistant Attorney General Amber Villa, and Boston College Law School’s Robert F. Drinan, SJ, Chair, Professor Thomas Mitchell, presented on the topic of Heirs’ Property and Tangled Titles. A 2020 MacArthur Fellow, Professor Mitchell discussed the ways in which land, single-family homes, and intergenerational wealth are too often lost, disproportionately though not exclusively in Black and Brown communities, when multiple heirs in common inherit through intestacy. Assistant Attorney General Villa, Chief of the AGO’s Neighborhood Renewal Division, discussed the relationship between heirs’ property and Vacant, Abandoned, and Deteriorated (VAD) properties, and the challenge this causes for municipalities engaged in neighborhood revitalization efforts. A retired housing court judge and longstanding member of the Commission, Judge Fein highlighted the range of programmatic initiatives that operate across the country to prevent or redress the legal problems associated with heirs’ property and tangled titles, and, together with Professor Mitchell and Assistant Attorney General Villa, offered a framework for moving forward in Massachusetts. The presentation included opportunity for discussion, and individuals interested in these issues were encouraged to attend.
To view the slides from the Heir’s Property and Tangled Titles presentation, click here – https://massa2j.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Power-Point-Presentation-on-Heirs-Property-and-Tangled-Titles-for-5.20.26-ATJC-Meeting.pdf
Previous Meeting Resources – Click Here
Sign up to Receive Updates
Sign up to receive updates from the Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission. We send emails around once per month.
Recent Commission News and Updates
View Commission updates and news here.
Learn More about Our Committees
See the list of committees here.
Find Pro Bono Opportunities
Learn more here.