Today, the Massachusetts IOLTA Committee announces that Executive Director Jayne Tyrrell, Esq. is stepping down from her position as of September 1. Her decision to leave will bring to a close a tremendous career of over 30 years of service with the Committee. Established in 1989 by the Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”), the Massachusetts Interest on Lawyers Trust Account Committee (the “IOLTA Committee”) distributes all interest earned on IOLTA accounts to three charitable entities: The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation (“MLAC”), the Massachusetts Bar Foundation (“MBF”) and the Boston Bar Foundation (“BBF’). These three entities use the IOLTA funds to make grants to: (i) civil legal services programs that represent low-income clients in family, housing, consumer, employment, education, disability, immigration and other civil legal matters and (ii) access to justice initiatives.
Building on the basic IOLTA interest revenue, Jayne has led or collaborated in many initiatives that have generated additional revenue streams. These have included SJC adoption of a rule requiring banks to pay interest at rates comparable to commercial accounts, amendments to the class action residual rules making legal aid programs and IOLTA eligible for awards of residual and requiring notice to the IOLTA Committee of potential awards, adoption of an access to justice attorney registration fee, initiation of a pro hac vice fee, major national bank settlements donations and unidentified and unclaimed funds previously escheated to the Treasurer’s office.
Under Jayne’s stewardship, the IOLTA Committee has raised more than $348.6 million dollars to support civil legal services and access to justice initiatives.
Hannah L. Kilson, Chair of the IOLTA Committee, notes that “Jayne’s tenure as Executive Director has established the Massachusetts IOLTA Program as a national model. She has been steadfast and unwavering in her commitment to utilizing the IOLTA Committee platform to creatively harness the resources of our legal and financial institutions to support civil legal aid in the Commonwealth. Her depth of knowledge and connections regarding the IOLTA Program within the Commonwealth and nationally has been a tremendous asset.”
Over the years, Jayne has taken leadership roles in many national and state settings, including serving on ABA committees on pro bono and IOLTA, president of the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP) and coordinator of the defense teams in the constitutional attack on IOLTA’s constitutionality.
In recent years. she has worked on expanding the right to counsel in civil cases. She co-chaired the Boston Bar Task Force on Expanding the Right to Counsel, which issued “Gideon’s New Trumpet” and conducted four pilot programs. She is on the steering committee of the National Coalition on Civil Right to Counsel and is working on establishing a right to counsel in housing cases in Massachusetts.
Finally, Jayne brought together leading women lawyers to create the Women’s Bar Association Women Leadership Initiative, which has encouraged and supported emerging women leaders in the bar. Jayne has been a key player in the civil legal services and access justice community and the Massachusetts legal community in general. Her tireless work to advance the needs of low income residents of the Commonwealth. and to promote the leadership of women in the bar made her a critical resource for so many. She leaves the IOLTA Committee on strong footing and well positioned for its next chapter.
The IOLTA Committee has formed a search committee to begin the task of finding a new Executive Director. A position announcement, can be found on https://www.maiolta.org/edhiring. The application deadline is July 14, 2021.
Under Jayne’s stewardship, the IOLTA Committee has raised more than $348.6 million dollars to support civil legal services and access to justice initiatives.
Hannah L. Kilson, Chair of the IOLTA Committee, notes that “Jayne’s tenure as Executive Director has established the Massachusetts IOLTA Program as a national model. She has been steadfast and unwavering in her commitment to utilizing the IOLTA Committee platform to creatively harness the resources of our legal and financial institutions to support civil legal aid in the Commonwealth. Her depth of knowledge and connections regarding the IOLTA Program within the Commonwealth and nationally has been a tremendous asset.”
Over the years, Jayne has taken leadership roles in many national and state settings, including serving on ABA committees on pro bono and IOLTA, president of the National Association of IOLTA Programs (NAIP) and coordinator of the defense teams in the constitutional attack on IOLTA’s constitutionality.
In recent years. she has worked on expanding the right to counsel in civil cases. She co-chaired the Boston Bar Task Force on Expanding the Right to Counsel, which issued “Gideon’s New Trumpet” and conducted four pilot programs. She is on the steering committee of the National Coalition on Civil Right to Counsel and is working on establishing a right to counsel in housing cases in Massachusetts.
Finally, Jayne brought together leading women lawyers to create the Women’s Bar Association Women Leadership Initiative, which has encouraged and supported emerging women leaders in the bar. Jayne has been a key player in the civil legal services and access justice community and the Massachusetts legal community in general. Her tireless work to advance the needs of low income residents of the Commonwealth. and to promote the leadership of women in the bar made her a critical resource for so many. She leaves the IOLTA Committee on strong footing and well positioned for its next chapter.
The IOLTA Committee has formed a search committee to begin the task of finding a new Executive Director. A position announcement, can be found on https://www.maiolta.org/edhiring. The application deadline is July 14, 2021.