Inside: • up and Coming Lawyers • Diversity Heroes •“The Lawscars” • Excellence in Legal Journalism Award
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Inside: • Up and Coming Lawyers • Diversity Heroes •“The Lawscars” • Excellence in Legal Journalism Award Excellence in the law celebration May 20, 2010 5:30-8 p.m. Boston Marriott Copley Place For questions regarding the event, contact Melissa Mitchell at 617-218-8213 or [email protected] Presented by: Sponsored by: Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly www.masslawyersweekly.com April 19, 2010 B3 In this special section, Lawyers Weekly highlights 20 “rising stars” — Massachusetts lawyers who have been members of the bar for 10 years or less, but who have already distinguished themselves in some manner and appear poised for even greater accomplishments. WILLIAM J. BARABINO By Eric T. Berkman Since then, Barabino’s solo practice has grown as he’s obtained dozens of acquittals Wakefield criminal defense lawyer and dismissals in everything from drunk- William J. Barabino started his career driving and probation-violation cases to with two high-profile cases and hasn’t rape and murder. But he’s especially proud slowed down since. of representing youthful offenders. On his very first day of practice, he walked “It’s such a big responsibility, because juve- into Salem District Court only to be greeted niles are only charged as adults for the most by a pool of cameras serious crimes,” Barabi- and a reporter from no says. “I’m represent- The Boston Globe. It “I’m representing ing the people who turned out they were need it the most.” covering the bail hear- the people who The case that ing of a man accused of stands out most for indecent assault and need it the most.” him involved a 15- battery. It also turned year-old charged out the man was Bara- with assault with in- bino’s client. tent to murder. The But instead of being defendant was distracted by the me- AGE:38 found not compe- dia, Barabino did what GRADUATED:Massachusetts tent to stand trial he was trained to do: School of Law, 2003 but still was held on focus on his client’s $50,000 bail until case. And the defen- POSITION:Sole practitioner, Barabino success- dant was released on Wakefield fully challenged the personal recognizance constitutionality of instead of the $50,000 One thing about him that the youth’s confes- bail the district attor- might surprise people:“I’ve sion. The charges ney was requesting. been authorized to repre- were ultimately dis- “I realized I was sent Guantanamo prisoners missed. there for my client since August 2003.” “He would have and not the media,” otherwise sat in jail or says Barabino, who a locked facility for was an Army para- years [awaiting trial],” trooper before going to law school. “But Barabino says. “I remember driving him the real key to my success was that I was home from court and having his mother bow prepared.” to me in what looked like a vow of apprecia- Less than a year later, after leaving a small tion. She was a Cambodian immigrant who firm and going solo, Barabino found him- had been a victim of the Khmer Rouge [in self before the Supreme Judicial Court as the 1970s], and in a way she felt re-victim- co-counsel in a criminal appeal. Though ized not being with her son. We brought them he didnot argue the matter, he played a key back together. It was very emotional.” MLW research role. The case resulted in a new rule allowing judges to instruct juries to Eric T. Berkman, an attorney and for- view with “great caution” any confession merly a reporter for Massachusetts that is not recorded by police. Lawyers Weekly, is a freelance writer. SHUB ELLEN Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly www.masslawyersweekly.com B4 April 19, 2010 SARAH R. BOONIN By Jeannie Greeley the midst of the violence.” Inequality is no stranger to Boonin. She got her Sarah R. Boonin is the type of attorney you thank first taste of it as a Duke University undergrad with at the end of an interview, not out of courtesy or ne- the Center for Global Education, traveling to Mex- cessity, but because you honestly believe her work may ico and Nicaragua to examine gender equality and affect you or someone you love social justice. Her experiences in a profound way. were later deepened when she She is one part philanthropist, worked as a program director several parts activist, and a few “I have always for the Feminist Majority Foun- more parts feminist, in an equa- dation. With each step, Boonin tion that makes her a total pow- had a passion for grew closer to the law. erhouse attorney. “Given my interest in equal- Hailed as one of the most ac- social justice.” ity, I felt I had to really under- complished attorneys in her stand the basis of inequality, field by superiors, Boonin is a from a legal perspective, before trailblazer in holistic legal I could make change,” she says. work, combining her experi- AGE:34 Focusing on family law has ences in equal rights work with GRADUATED:Harvard Law allowed Boonin to effect that change, calling that area the her legal aid interests to serve School, 2004 victims of domestic violence. “ground zero for economic “I have always had a passion POSITION:Visiting assistant clin- equality for women.” for social justice and an interest ical professor of law, Suffolk “Family law is about providing financial security and safety to in particular in issues of equal- University Law School; senior ity and women’s rights,” Boonin women and children so that they says. “For me, there was never a clinical fellow, Harvard Law can break this cycle and move on question about whether I would School Legal Services Center in their lives,” she says. Currently, the Passageway go into the public versus the pri- One thing about her that might vate sector.” Health-Law Collaborative is at During a clerkship with the surprise people:“I have a very full capacity, Boonin says, not- Supreme Judicial Court, Boonin highly developed sense of hu- ing that she hopes to expand was awarded the prestigious mor, and I love to laugh. the model to other facilities. Skadden fellowship, which al- Laughter is usually what gets Though the work can be emo- lowed her to join the Harvard me through the most difficult tionally taxing at times, she says the Harvard students she su- Law School Legal Services Cen- cases and the most intense ter. There, she designed and im- pervises keep her enthusiastic. plemented the Passageway moments. I’m a big goof.” But her biggest inspiration of- Health-Law Collaborative with ten comes from her clients. Brigham &Women’s Hospital. It “My clients may come to me connects low-income victims of and they’re traumatized and domestic violence to a trusted network of doctors, so- have little hope,” she says. “By the end of the case, cial workers and lawyers in an effort to provide direct they’re sitting up straight, and they’re able to look legal services. their batterers in the eye. They have hope.” MLW “Most of these people would never make it through the door of a legal services center,” Boonin Jeannie Greeley, formerly a reporter for Massa- says. “These are people who are still very much in chusetts Lawyers Weekly, is a freelance writer. SHEA MERRILL THOMAS A. BROWN By Andrew Clark lege student embroiled in a controversy over an un- savory e-mail and managed to secure a ruling that With a computer-programmer father and a pair of found an illegal search and seizure had occurred be- lawyers for grandparents, one might say Thomas A. cause no probable cause for a crime existed. Brown was destined to work in But equally impressive is intellectual property. And,in fact, Brown’s desire to give back to the former Microsoft software “Everything you the legal community in the developer has found the IP field form of pro bono work. to be the perfect fit for his in- work with is like For the past four years, he has quisitive personality. taken part in the Housing “I love the fact that you can get an interesting Court’s Lawyer-for-a-Day pro- knee deep in the technical world,” gram, representing tenants fac- says Brown, a native of Queens, puzzle.” ing eviction. And through his N.Y. “Everything you work with pro bono work with the Political Asylum/Immigration Represen- is like an interesting puzzle, and AGE:33 you get to see how a lot of differ- tation Project, Brown helped at- ent things work. This really GRADUATED:Harvard Law tain asylum for two Armenian makes you [use] both parts of the School, 2003 journalists who were being op- brain. Each case has its own steep pressed by their homeland for learning curve, and it makes the POSITION:Associate, Fish & reporting on an anti-govern- job always interesting.” Richardson, Boston ment political demonstration. In his still relatively short career Brown estimates that he as a lawyer, Brown has already One thing about him that takes on roughly 10 pro bono been involved in several high- might surprise people:“My cases per year. profile cases. He was part of a wife’s GPS is directly rigged “The best cases are really the team that successfully opposed a to our home’s thermostat in pro bono ones,” Brown says. preliminary injunction to stop order to save energy.” “You get to interact with peo- three Massachusetts Institute of ple who really need help. You Technology students from shar- might be helping someone ing their research about vulnera- who is in danger of getting bilities in the MBTA’s Charlie Card system.