Patrick Picks Asian-American For Supreme Judicial Court

BOSTON (AP) - Gov. Deval Patrick on Tuesday nominated Fernande "Nan" Duffly to be the next associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, as the state's first black governor continues his record of breaking down racial, ethnic and gender barriers while filling top jobs.

The 61-year-old Duffly, a member of the Massachusetts Appeals Court, was born in Indonesia and would apparently become the first Asian-American to serve on the state's highest court.

The pick, the fourth made by Patrick on the seven-member court, will also put the governor's personal imprint on a majority of members on the state's highest judicial panel.

"Judge Duffly brings 18 years of extraordinary judicial experience with her to the SJC," Patrick said at a news conference to announce his pick.

"She is widely respected for her excellent judgment, keen insight, warm and collegial personality and a sharp, sharp intelligence."

Duffly's nomination comes a day after Patrick swore in the state's first black leader of the Supreme Judicial Court, elevating Roderick Ireland from associate justice to chief justice.

The governor has also appointed the first female head of the Massachusetts State Police, as well as the first black general to lead the Massachusetts National Guard.

In addition, he recently upended the search for a new president of the University of Massachusetts by telling its leaders he wanted an "open and diverse" search process after it appeared to be narrowing to a white male.

While the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has the distinction of being the oldest continuously serving court in the Western Hemisphere, it vaulted to national prominence in 2003 when the prior chief justice, Margaret Marshall, authored a 4-3 decision making Massachusetts the first state to legalize gay marriage.

Ireland concurred.

Duffly immigrated to the United States with her family at age 6 and later graduated from the University of Connecticut and Harvard Law School.

She has been a judge for 18 years, first on the Probate and Family Court and as an associate justice on the appellate court for the past decade.

Before she became a judge, Duffly was a partner at Boston's Warner & Stackpole, where she specialized in domestic relations cases.

Duffly has also advocated for more female judges. While serving as president of the National Association of Women Judges, she started a task force on the retention and promotion of women in the legal profession.

Judge Gary Katzmann, a colleague of Duffly's on the state Appeals Court, said she is a leading judicial scholar on family law, including cases involving divorce, adoption and child custody.

"She is a person who combines both a wonderful conscientious scholarship with a sensitivity to the people who are the subjects of the cases and to the lawyers who appear in front of her," Katzmann said.

Patrick previously appointed Margot Botsford and Ralph Gants as associate justices of the SJC, and elevated Ireland, creating the vacancy for which Duffly is nominated.

The other three justices were appointed by Republicans who held the Corner Office for 16 years before Patrick's election in 2006.

Ireland was appointed associate justice in 1997 by Republican Gov. William F. Weld.

All nominees must be approved by the Governor's Council, a nine-member panel headed by Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)