Superior Court Judge Heidi Brieger, a 2012 appointee of former Gov. Deval Patrick, was appointed chief justice of that court on Thursday.
Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey announced Brieger’s appointment to a five-year term. Brieger currently serves as the regional administrative judge for civil business in Suffolk County and chairs the Superior Court Education Committee.
“She is highly respected by her colleagues and by members of the bar for her judicial intellect, judgment, listening skills, collaborative management, work ethic and integrity,” Carey said in a statement. “Judge Brieger is a thoughtful leader who is respected and trusted by others. She has the ability to create consensus by seeking input and to provide clear, capable direction.”
Carey said she believed Brieger will “meet the high standard of excellence” set by Chief Justice Judith Fabricant. In 2014, Carey named Fabricant as chief justice while former Chief Justice Barbara Rouse neared the mandatory retirement age of 70. Fabricant was an assistant attorney general before she was appointed to the Superior Court in 1996.
According to the Supreme Judicial Court, Brieger served as chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force in the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office beginning in 2006, following her service as a prosecutor in that office since 1992. She was a law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge Andrew Caffrey, and is a graduate of Smith College and Boston College Law School.
