Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Elspeth B. Cypher is set to join the Boston College Law School faculty after she retires in 2024.
“I am looking forward to pursuing my love of teaching as a Huber Distinguished Visiting Professor of Law at Boston College Law School in the spring semester of 2024,” Cypher said in a release from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Cypher will officially retire from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Jan. 12 of next year, according to the release.
BC Law Dean Odette Lienau said the school is excited to welcome Cypher to its faculty.
“She brings a wealth of knowledge and decades of experience to enrich the classroom, and I am certain our students and the entire community will benefit greatly from her presence here with us,” Lienau said.
Cypher received her undergraduate degree from Emerson College in 1980 before pursuing her J.D. at Suffolk University Law School, which she received in 1986.
She served as an assistant district attorney and later as chief of the appellate division of Massachusetts’ Bristol County until 2000, when she was appointed as an associate justice to the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the release states.
Former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker then appointed Cypher as an associate justice to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2017.
Cypher also formerly taught as an adjunct professor at University of Massachusetts School of Law and Suffolk University Law School. She received honorary doctorates from Emerson College and the University of Massachusetts in 2017 and 2018, respectively, according to the release.
The release also notes Cypher’s involvement with the study of criminal law.
“Cypher has written extensively about developments in criminal law in the Commonwealth,” the release reads. “Active in the Massachusetts Bar Association, Justice Cypher has served as co-chair of its criminal law section.”
Near concluding her 37 year career in law, Cypher credited her achievements to those who supported her.
“No judicial career is achieved alone,” Cypher said in the release. “I have benefited from the enduring support of my family and friends, and I have learned from the many wonderful teachers, mentors, colleagues, law clerks, support staff, and students I have had the opportunity to work with.”
