Gov. Baker Nominates Carvajal as Associate Justice To Massachusetts Housing Court

In full transparency, the following is a press release.

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BOSTON – Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker nominated Sergio E. Carvajal as Associate Justice of the Housing Court. Attorney Carvajal has more than 20 years of legal experience.

 “Attorney Carvajal’s decades of experience litigating matters in courtrooms throughout the Commonwealth, especially in the Housing Court, make him well suited to serve as an Associate Justice of the Housing Court,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “I am pleased to submit this candidate to the Governor’s Council for their advice and consent.”

 “Over the course of his career, Attorney Carvajal has demonstrated his deep expertise in housing matters and dedication to public service ,” said Lt. Governor Karyn Polito. “If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, I am confident that he will continue to serve the Commonwealth well as an Associate Justice of the Housing Court.” 

The Housing Court Department is a statewide court with jurisdiction over civil and criminal actions, including equitable relief, which involve the health, safety, or welfare of the occupants or owners of residential housing. The Court hears summary process (eviction) cases, small claims cases, and civil actions involving personal injury, property damage, breach of contract, discrimination, and other claims.

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The Housing Court also hears code enforcement actions and appeals of local zoning board decisions that affect residential housing.

The Housing Court has 15 judges authorized to serve its 6 divisions – Central, Eastern, Northeast, Southeast, Western, and Metro South – and conducts sessions in over 20 locations every week. If confirmed by the Governor’s Council, Attorney Carvajal will fill the seat vacated by the Honorable Dina Fein. 

Judicial nominations are subject to the advice and consent of the Governor’s Council. Applicants for judicial openings are reviewed by the Judicial Nominating Commission (JNC) and recommended to the governor. Governor Baker established the JNC in February 2015 pursuant to Executive Order 558, a non-partisan, non-political Commission composed of volunteers from a cross-section of the Commonwealth’s diverse population to screen judicial applications. Twenty-one members were later appointed to the JNC in April 2015. 

Carvajal began his legal career in 1999 as a Staff Attorney for the Legal Assistance Corporation of Central Massachusetts. In this role, he represented plaintiffs in fair housing and employment discrimination matters before State and Federal courts, as well as the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), and presented community legal education trainings on fair housing and landlord-tenant law. He also served from 2006 until 2007 as a Senior Attorney, mentoring and supervising Staff Attorneys in the Housing Unit.

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In 2007, Attorney Carvajal entered private practice by opening Carvajal Law Office, P.C. as Managing Partner, which he continues to operate in Worcester and Springfield as Carvajal & Nielsen, P.C. There, he handles a wide range of matters including civil litigation before State and Federal courts and the MCAD, landlord-tenant disputes, discrimination in employment and housing and criminal defense.

Since 2015, Attorney Carvajal has also served in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office as a Special Assistant Attorney General. In this role, he has represented the Department of Public Health, the Childhood Lead Paint Prevention Program and the City of Worcester in prosecuting violations of lead paint laws in residential dwellings.

Attorney Carvajal is an active member of both the Worcester County Bar Association and the Hampden County Bar Association, and served from 2009 until 2013 as an Adjunct Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School, and his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.​  

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