A Massachusetts Appeals Court judge has been named the winner of the 2011 William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence.
Justice James McHugh received a unanimous nomination for the award from the justices of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, along with letters of support from chief justices and community leaders.
The prestigious award is given annually by the National Center for State Courts to a state court judge who exemplifies integrity, fairness and professional ethics. John Roberts Jr., chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, will present the award to McHugh at a ceremony at the high court in November.
The National Center for State Courts said that during his 26-year-career McHugh has been an innovator and court leader on issues affecting the courts, including information technology, managing case flow and judicial ethics.
