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Boston - Governor Maura Healey today nominated Tiffanie Ellis-Niles and Karin Wilinski to the Juvenile Court. The nominees will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation.
“I’m excited to nominate these two incredibly smart, qualified and fair attorneys to the Juvenile Court,” said Governor Healey. “They both have tremendous experience working with juveniles and their families, and in this role, they will add important perspectives to the Court. We’re grateful for the work of the Governor’s Council as they consider these three nominations.”
“Both of these attorneys would bring considerable skill and knowledge to the Juvenile Court, and we’re proud to nominate them for these roles,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We look forward to working with the Governor’s Council to confirm these nominees.”
The mission of the Juvenile Court is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to promote opportunities for children to reside in safe, stable, permanent family environments, to strengthen families, to rehabilitate juveniles, and to protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court Department has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters including delinquencies, youthful offender cases, care and protection matters and children requiring assistance cases. It has 42 judges, including the Chief Justice, sitting in over 40 courthouses.
For more information about the Juvenile Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated Audrey Murillo, Fabiola White and Jennifer Currie to the Juvenile Court,
About the Nominees
Tiffanie Cherie Ellis-Niles is a founding partner and managing attorney at Lyles and Niles, LLP, a distinguished general practice law firm serving Massachusetts’ South Shore. With over a decade of legal experience, Attorney Ellis-Niles focuses her practice on bankruptcy, family law, probate, landlord/tenant disputes, and civil litigation. She is particularly dedicated to representing children and families involved with the Department of Children and Families through her certification with the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Attorney Ellis-Niles's extensive legal career includes prior roles as an Administrative Attorney at the Law Offices of Richard S. Weiss, a Hearing Officer for the Boston Housing Authority, and an Associate at the Law Offices of John Mackey. Beyond her practice, she is deeply committed to advancing equity and inclusion within the legal community, having served as President of both the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston and Suffolk University Law School, Attorney Ellis-Niles was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 2005 and to the Massachusetts Bankruptcy Courts in 2010. Her leadership extends to board memberships with Lawyers for Civil Rights and New England Community Services, as well as active involvement with the Brockton Area NAACP, where she chairs the Legal Redress Committee and serves on the ACT-SO Committee. Attorney Ellis-Niles has been recognized for her professional excellence, including being named a "Massachusetts Rising Star" by Lawyers Weekly Super Lawyers. She also completed the Initiative for Diversity in Civic Leadership, underscoring her commitment to fostering diversity in civic and professional spaces. Attorney Ellis-Niles resides in Brockton, Massachusetts, with her husband and their three children.
Karin Wilinski has practiced extensively in the Juvenile Court for over thirty years. Since 1995, she has run a solo practice, frequently representing both parents and children on child welfare cases, conducting investigations, and serving as a guardian ad litem. She also has extensive civil experience, including handling estate planning, probate matters, adoptions, real estate closings and condo conversions. Before founding her own firm, she worked as an Associate at Samek & Faneuil and as an attorney for the Committee for Public Counsel Services. She has a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law. She lives in Needham.