Governor Healey Thanks Departing Top Lawyer Paige Scott Reed, Appoints Jesse M. Boodoo as Chief Legal Counsel

 Governor Healey Thanks Departing Top Lawyer Paige Scott Reed, Appoints Jesse M. Boodoo as Chief Legal Counsel 

BOSTON – Governor Maura Healey today is thanking her Chief Legal Counsel, Paige Scott Reed, who has announced that she will leave the administration this month to return to the private sector. Governor Healey has appointed Jesse M. Boodoo to be Scott Reed’s successor.  

Paige Scott Reed was one of Governor Healey’s first appointments in December 2022. She is the first African American woman to lead the Governor’s legal office. Scott Reed has been a key part of the mechanics of bringing great ideas to fruition right from the beginning. She brought together a team of lawyers from across secretariats to draft effective legislation as Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll worked to drive greater affordability and transform housing, beginning with the creation of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.  

Scott Reed and her team, which included a historically diverse and richly talented Judicial Nominating Commission, also shepherded an impressive collection of judges through the judicial nominating process. Governor Healey has appointed two Supreme Judicial Court Justices, three Appeals Court justices, and more than 60 judges overall, not to mention a historic register of probate, three additions to the Parole Board, and several clerk magistrates. Scott Reed has earned the steady support of the Governor’s Council and the appreciation of the judiciary.   

“I’m deeply grateful to Paige Scott Reed for her service to our administration and to the people of Massachusetts. She leaves an enduring legacy – from the lives that have been transformed because of her work on clemency to the dozens of judges she helped nominate to the bench whose decisions will shape our state for generations to come. We wish her the absolute best in her next steps,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Jesse Boodoo has been a trusted advisor to me for years, and he has a track record of bringing people together and getting results. We are thrilled to see him step into this new role.” 

“Paige and Jesse are both valued members of our team and their leadership has had positive impacts for our administration and the people of Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We thank Paige for her outstanding service and wish her luck going forward. We are excited to see all that Jesse will accomplish as Chief Legal Counsel.” 

The Healey-Driscoll Administration brought a renewed focus to executive clemency and the work of the Parole Board. During Scott Reed’s tenure, Governor Healey pardoned 21 individuals and issued a blanket pardon for simple marijuana convictions that is impacting hundreds of thousands of people. This month, Governor Healey announced four more pardons that will soon be considered by the Governor’s Council. Because of this historic work, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has made more equitable use of pardon power, reworked the Governor’s new clemency guidelines to be more just and effective, and nominated Parole Board members with the experience, knowledge, and commitment to support the process of rehabilitation and reentry. The Parole Board is also more reflective of the diversity of Massachusetts and more energized to do hard reentry work. 

“It has been an incredible honor to work for Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and this entire administration,” said Paige Scott Reed. “I'm proud of the work we have done together to create a stronger Massachusetts and make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. I know the Governor's Office will be in good hands with Jesse Boodoo as Chief Legal Counsel, and I look forward to seeing all that the team will continue to get done in the years ahead.” 

Prior to joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Scott Reed was a Partner at Prince Lobel Tye LLP and had previously worked as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA and also served as Corporate Secretary and General Counsel to the Boston 2024 Partnership for the city’s Olympic bid. She received her A.B. from Harvard College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an Executive Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Scott Reed is also a past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. 

Jesse Boodoo currently serves as Deputy Chief Legal Counsel in the Governor’s Office, where he advises on a wide range of legal matters and is one of the principal legal advisors to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Since the early days of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Boodoo has helped lead the Governor’s Legal Office, supervising the legal departments of secretariats, overseeing major litigation involving the executive branch, and directing the review and drafting of legislation. 

“I’m honored to be appointed Chief Legal Counsel by Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll,” said Jesse Boodoo. “I’m grateful for Paige’s leadership and guidance these past couple of years. I look forward to the opportunity to build on her important work to faithfully represent the Governor’s Office, nominate highly qualified judges to the courts and advance clemency recommendations that are rooted in equity and fairness.” 

Previously, Boodoo served as Managing Attorney of the Trial Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, representing state agencies, public officials, and employees in matters involving employment issues, civil rights, administrative law, wrongful convictions, and ballot initiatives. He also served as Acting General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA, worked as a litigator at Ropes & Gray focusing on civil and criminal appellate work, and clerked on the Massachusetts Appeals Court. 

Boodoo has held numerous volunteer roles, including as a member and former Vice Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers and a member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law. He resides in Newton with his wife and two children.