Amy L. Nechtem

The Honorable Amy L. Nechtem is chief justice of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Department, where she oversees and advances the administration and management of juvenile justice and child welfare matters in the courts throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. She is the past president of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), the country’s leading voice for women in the judiciary. She served on its board of directors for over 15 years, and received the Justice Joan Dempsey Klein Award, given to a judge who brings distinction to her office and exemplifies the mission of NAWJ. Chief Justice Nechtem is also active in numerous national and international organizations. She attended the International Judicial Academy on International Law and Courts in The Hague, Netherlands. She is a current member of the Casey Family Program 21st Century Child Welfare System Steering Committee, and a past member of the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund Judicial Resource Project, a national group that provides comprehensive resources for judges who make decisions involving the lives of children and families affected by maltreatment and abuse. She also created a national model of judicial case management, Pathways, to promote permanency for children. Chief Justice Nechtem served as an assistant district attorney for many years in Boston, prosecuting child abuse and major felony cases. She is a graduate of Simmons University, where she received the Outstanding Community Service Award, and graduated with honors from Suffolk University Law School. She has been named a Top Woman in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly and is a recipient of Massachusetts Judges Conference Judicial Excellence Award.