Gov. Maura Healey’s first judicial nominations are on the horizon, now that the former prosecutor’s judicial candidate vetting panel has laid out a timeline of eight upcoming application windows, starting with one that closes next week.
Applicants looking to fill the Superior Court seats vacated by Judges Thomas Drechsler and Paul Wilson — a pair of Gov. Deval Patrick appointees — have until Friday, May 19 to get their paperwork in to the Judicial Nominating Commission.
The 27-member commission, led by former Patrick administration lawyer Abim Thomas, pre-screens applications for court postings before forwarding its recommendations to the governor. Healey’s picks are then publicly interviewed by the eight-member elected Governor’s Council, which usually votes to send nominees to the bench.
Other application rounds include an open Housing Court seat (May 26), three Superior Court openings (June 9 and 23), and three Juvenile Court spots (June 9). Four District Court seats have an application deadline in July, and attorneys interested in two Boston Municipal Court openings have until mid-August.
Appeals Court Judge Mary Thomas Sullivan is expected to retire in August, according to the JNC, which hasn’t yet set a due date for applications to the appellate post.
