Governor Healey Nominates John P. Riordan as Clerk Magistrate of the Northeast Housing Court

 Governor Healey Nominates John P. Riordan as  Clerk Magistrate of the Northeast Housing Court 

BOSTON – Today, Governor Maura Healey announced the nomination of John P. Riordan to serve as Clerk Magistrate of the Northeast Housing Court, which covers Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Salem and Woburn. He will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation. 

"With over 40 years of legal experience, Jack Riordan will bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge to support the Northeast Housing Court,” said Governor Maura Healey. “The Housing Court plays an important role in ensuring people’s rights are protected, and we are excited to see Attorney Riordan support our residents in Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Salem and Woburn.” 

“As the former Mayor of Salem, I know how important the Northeast Housing Court is for helping our tenants, landlords and homeowners," said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We look forward to working toward Attorney Riordan’s confirmation with the Governor’s Council." 

John Riordan has served as the Supervising Attorney for Riordan Law Office for nearly thirty years where he has handled a high-volume of trial cases focused on criminal defense, civil litigation and bankruptcy in both state and federal courts. He also served as the Chief Outside Legal Counsel for the Brockton Redevelopment Authority. Prior to founding his own practice, Attorney Riordan served as an in-house trial attorney for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company for ten years and as an Assistant District Attorney for the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office. He is a past President of the Boys & Girls Club of Brockton and was the recipient of the Massachusetts Bar Association’s Community Service Award in 2017.  Attorney Riordan has also served in the United States Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant Commander in Naval Intelligence serving in the Mideast and Latin America. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in Political Science and a Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law. 

The Housing Court Department handles all matters involving residential housing such as eviction cases, small claims cases, and civil actions involving personal injury, property damage, breach of contract, discrimination, as well as code enforcement actions and appeals of local zoning board decisions that affect residential housing. The Housing Court’s mission is to adjudicate all matters presented by litigants within its jurisdiction regarding housing in a fair, efficient and timely manner according to the rule of law and the facts presented. Led by Chief Justice Diana H. Horan, the Housing Court has 15 justices, and they sit in six divisions: the Central, Eastern, Metro South, Northeast, Southeast, and Western divisions.  

For more information about the Housing Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey previously nominated Benjamin Adeyinka as an Associate Justice to the Housing Court.