ALS signed “John Kennedy,” one page, 7.25 x 10.25, stamp-dated April 23, 1979. Letter to Judge Roderick L. Ireland, written as an 18-year-old intern in the Boston Juvenile Court system, in full: "I would just like to thank you for being so enthusiastic and engaging to me during my internship at the courthouse. I suppose I saw more of your sessions than anyone else's and they always proved to be extremely worthwhile. When I could move myself emotionally from the courtroom proceedings I learned a great deal about which programs in the state are directed towards which problems and what criterias you follow to base your findings. Towards the end when I became fairly familiar with the court structure I began to try and place myself in your position, trying to determine for myself the proper judicial responses after assimilating all the facts. Thank you once again for always making it interesting." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original mailing envelope, addressed in Kennedy's own hand.
Roderick L. Ireland retired as the 36th Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2014. When he was appointed to that court as an Associate Justice in 1997, he became the first African-American jurist to sit on that bench in its over 300 year history. Previously he served on the Massachusetts Appeals Court (1990-97) and the Boston Juvenile Court (1977-90). An interesting association piece between two figures made historical by time and chance.
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