The American Inns of Court
Brad Honoroff was selected by the Boston area Inns of Court as the Frank J. Murray Inn of Court 2016 ‘Lawyer of the Year’. He was honored at their Annual Banquet on June 22, 2016. There are four Inns of Court in the Boston area, of which one is The Frank J. Murray Inn of Court. As noted in their letter to Brad, “The Murray Inn, named after the late Frank J. Murray, a particularly revered Superior Court and U. S. District Court Judge, is a chapter of the American Inns of Court. Their mission is to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar.” Each year the Inn selects members of the Boston legal community “to honor as Judge, Lawyer and Clerk of the Year, each of whom exemplifies the goals and principals of the Inn.”
“Particularly in view of [Brad’s] long record as a talented mediator and service to the profession in educating others, we are very proud to recognize you for your fine work.”
Susan Cohen, a partner at Peabody & Arnold and board member of Murray Inn of Court, introduced Brad at the awards banquet. She highlighted that Brad was the first mediator to be honored as “Lawyer of the Year” noting that the confidential nature of mediation often prevents mediators from receiving the same recognition as litigators. Litigators do their work very publicly, whereas a mediator accomplishes most of his or her work behind closed doors out of the public eye.
She went on to say that as a student, teacher and practitioner of the mediation process, Brad is tremendously skilled at analyzing the facts and the law and understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each side. Trusted and respected by both sides, he is neither a pro-plaintiff nor a pro-defendant mediator – he is able to work both sides of the case and helps parties to change their positions without feeling bullied or pressured. He provides parties an opportunity to be heard, essentially giving them their “day in court.” He’s willing to pull out all the stops and keeps working a case for as long as he can help move it towards resolution. She noted Brad is empathetic but not afraid to give parties tough news. He is effective and well liked, academic yet practical. He is first and foremost an excellent lawyer, exhibiting mastery of each of the following “lawyer skills” with an ability to listen, understand, educate, argue and persuade.
The American Inns of Court are based on British Common Law tradition and are dedicated to encouraging the greatest level of professionalism. As described on their website, the American Inns are “an association of lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals from all levels and backgrounds who share a passion for professional excellence. Through regular meetings, members are able to build and strengthen professional relationships; discuss fundamental concerns about professionalism and pressing legal issues of the day; share experiences and advice; exhort the utmost passion and dedication for the law; provide mentoring opportunities; and advance the highest levels of integrity, ethics, and civility.”
As previously noted on the blog, Brad also recently received the Best Lawyers® 2017 Mediation "Lawyer of the Year" award in Boston. He has been listed in Best Lawyers® since 2006 and was previously named Best Lawyers® 2014 Mediation "Lawyer of the Year" in Boston.
Congratulations to Brad on all of his latest accomplishments.