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 The Green Bag Volume XXIII

November, 1911

Number 11

Changes in the Massachusetts Supreme Court HIEF JUSTICE Arthur Prentice

to him. He was born in Sterling, Mass,

Rugg of the Supreme Judicial

Aug. 20, 1862, and was educated at Am herst College and Boston University Law School. He began practice with former Congressman John R. Thayer at Wor cester, under the ﬁrm name of Thayer

Court of Massachusetts took the oath of oﬁice Sept. 20. The appointment came as a surprise, but the promotion of the youngest Associate Justice has

been well received both by the bar and

8: Rugg. He was president of the Wor

by the general public. The retiring Chief Justice, Marcus Perrin Knowlton,

cester Common Council in 1895, assis tant district attorney 1893-97, and city

commended his successor in the follow

solicitor of Worcester 1897-1906.

ing words: —

connection with his duties as city solic itor he became recognized as an author ity on water rights and grade crossing

"Since his appointment as an Associate Jus tice of the Supreme bench, ﬁve years ago, Judge Rugg has done excellent work with constantly increasing power and understanding. His opin ions have had a clear and attractive style with good reasoning. "His cases have been investigated thoroughly and carefully, so far as authorities are concerned. His judicial work has commended itself to all whom it has concerned. "He has an attractive personality, with suffi cient dignity and withal a kindliness and sym pathy which commen’d him. He is a delightful and elegant gentleman, and his qualiﬁcations combine to make him popular with the bar in a high degree. "He will make an excellent Chief Justice. In ten years from now he will be generally recog nized as an unusually strong judge. He is that now because of his exhaustive methods in pre paring decisions and opinions. It is a good appointment."

In

litigation. Especial attention was at tracted to his ability when he tested the constitutionality of the street railway law of 1898 before the Supreme Court of the United States. Since going on the Supreme bench in 1906, he has written

some notable opinions. His amiable manner in court and his personal charm have won him a host of friends among the members of the bench and bar. The Springﬁeld Republican says of the new Chief Justice:— l'He is and always has been a man of the people, of plain ever a student, jealous mistress, standing when he

habits and sympathies, but devoted ﬁrst of all to that the law. His professional went on the bench was con

ceded, he has made a ﬁne record

there, and

any notable advantages and earned by

his elevation to the distinguished company of the chief justices of the Massachusetts supreme court-since 1830 these men have been Lemuel Shaw, George Tyler Bigelow, Reuben Atwater

hard work the honors which have come

Chapman, Horace Gray, Marcus Morton, Wal

Chief Justice Rugg is a splendid ex ample of a man who started life without