September 10, 2025

Healey nominates Worcester Legal Aid lawyer for seat on Probate and Family Court

BY Rachel GowWorcester Telegram & Gazette

Gov. Maura T. Healey has nominated Lyonel Jean-Pierre Jr., a managing attorney at Community Legal Aid in Worcester, to serve as an associate justice of the Probate and Family Court.

Jean-Pierre and Timothy Horan, a private practice lawyer in New Bedford, will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation.

“This is tremendous opportunity for me and I hope to bring some empathy and compassion to the bench as well as my expertise in the law,” Jean-Pierre said.

“Both Attorney Jean-Pierre Jr and Attorney Horan will bring a wealth of knowledge to the Probate and Family Court, and the bench will benefit from their unique perspectives and deep understanding of the law,” Healey said in a statement.

Jean-Pierre has worked for nine years at Worcester’s branch of Community Legal Aid, provider of free legal services to low-income and elderly residents of Central and Western Massachusetts. He has experience in family law and previously worked in private practice, focusing on domestic relations in family court.

Jean-Pierre’s time in Worcester has been instrumental to his success, according to the attorney.

“During my time in Worcester, the city has grown and I’ve grown with it,” he said. “I’ve developed my understanding of the community and its needs. I am going to lean on those experiences to make sound decisions on the bench.”

Jean-Pierre holds a bachelor of arts degree from Brandeis University and a law degree from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.