Honorable Catherine Sabaitis ’75 Recognized by St. Thomas More Law Society

March 16, 2011

The Honorable Catherine Sabaitis '75, first justice of the Plymouth Probate and Family Court, will be recognized on Thursday, April 7 by Stonehill's St. Thomas More Law Society for her dedication to public service and the law for the past two decades. The award presentation and reception will be held at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston.

Sabaitis has served as first justice since 1995, hearing cases on matters such as child support, divorce, probate of estates, guardianships, custody, visitation, and more.

Profiled by the Patriot Ledger last year, Sabaitis said "you have to be a little bit of a psychologist and a social worker. You have to be a good listener and have an appreciation of the human condition," on being a judge in the probate and family court.

Prior to Sabaitis becoming first justice, then-Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis appointed her to serve as an associate justice in the Plymouth Probate and Family Court in 1990. She was the first woman to hold that position.

She also was the first woman to hold the post of assistant city solicitor in Brockton from 1984-1990.
In her 20 years on the bench, Sabaitis has served on several Supreme Judicial Court committees, including the Advisory on Judicial Ethics, Judicial Education and the Massachusetts Handbook on Evidence.

She has also been the vice chairman and acting chair of the Commission on Judicial Conduct and a panelist on continuing education programs for the Massachusetts Bar Association. She is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association and the Plymouth County Bar Association.

A native of Brockton, Sabaitis began her professional career as a private attorney focusing on issues involving families after graduating from New England School of Law. At Stonehill, she majored in Political Science. She later returned to school and earned a master's degree in public administration from Suffolk University School of Management.

For more than a decade, she served on Stonehill's Alumni Council and in 1990 she was elected to a two-year term as president of the Council.

Sabaitis received Stonehill's Alumni Service Award in 1994 as well as Stonehill's Outstanding Alumnus
Award in 2004 in recognition of her selfless service, consummate professionalism, steadfast integrity, and the honor she has brought to her alma mater.

The St. Thomas More Law Society at Stonehill is named for Sir Thomas More (1478-1535), an English lawyer, author, and statesman. In 1935, 400 years after his death, More was canonized in the Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI and later declared the patron saint of lawyers and statesmen. International Studies major Casey Flanagan '12 serves as president of the Society.

2011 St. Thomas More Reception Committee

Honorable Edward G. Boyle, III
Honorable Paula A. Carey
Stonehill Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs Katie Conboy
Stonehill President Rev. Mark T. Cregan, C.S.C. '78
Former Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis
Honorable Charles J. Hely
Archbishop Williams High School President Carmen Mariano
Honorable James V. Menno
New England School of Law Dean John F. O'Brien
Honorable Lisa Roberts
Honorable Stephen C. Steinberg
Honorable Paul E. Troy

Contact

For more information, contact Communications and Media Relations at 508-565-1321.