BOSTON – Governor Maura T. Healey today nominated Massachusetts Appeals Court Associate Justice Gabrielle R. Wolohojian to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court. This is Governor Healey’s second nomination to the state’s highest court.
“There is no one more qualified or better prepared to serve on the Supreme Judicial Court than Justice Wolohojian. She will bring over three decades of broad trial and appellate experience, including sixteen years on the Appeals Court,” said Governor Healey. “Justice Wolohojian has served on the Appeals Court with distinction and her work is widely respected by members of the bench and bar. She has an exceptional understanding of the law and a strong commitment to the administration of justice. I thank the Supreme Judicial Nominating Commission for their work throughout this process and I am grateful to the Governor’s Council for their careful consideration of her nomination.”
“Justice Wolohojian cares deeply about improving the work of our courts and ensuring that the judiciary serves the public as best it can,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “From chairing the Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Appellate Procedure, to overseeing the training and mentoring of all new judges on the Appeals Court, Justice Wolohojian has shown an unwavering dedication to improving the functioning of our courts. Governor Healey and I look forward to the Governor’s Council’s consideration of Justice Wolohojian, who, if confirmed, will be a critically important addition to the Supreme Judicial Court.”
“Justice Wolohojian is uniquely qualified to join the Supreme Judicial Court at a time when it enjoys and is committed to maintaining its reputation as one of the most respected state supreme courts in the country,” said retired Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Geraldine S. Hines. “This is a difficult job that demands intellectual vigor, respect for the rule of law, an unwavering commitment to equal justice under the law, and an impeccable work ethic. From our time together on the Appeals Court and from my conversations with colleagues who have continued to serve on the court, I can say that Justice Wolohojian is richly blessed with these qualifications, as exemplified in her record of achievement as a lawyer and jurist. She has also mastered the under-appreciated but important skill so critical to appellate judging: the ability to accept and coax consensus from the inevitable debates that arise when seven justices with diverse background, life experiences and judicial philosophies are called upon to decide the difficult and complex issues of law presented to the court.”
The Supreme Judicial Court is Massachusetts’s highest appellate court, consisting of the Chief Justice and six Associate Justices. The seven Justices hear appeals on a broad range of criminal and civil cases from September through May and issue written opinions that are posted online.
Justice Wolohojian is nominated to fill the seat vacated by Justice David A. Lowy, who retired from the Supreme Judicial Court in February 2024.
