Episode 128-Here Comes the Judge- the Honorable Paul Wilson (ret.)

Counsel to Counsel - Career Advice for Lawyers

For a long time, I’ve been meaning to invite a judge onto Counsel to Counsel to talk about judicial careers. Going on the bench is a logical next step for many litigators and I wanted to speak to a judge who could offer some practical wisdom on the subject.

When I met Paul Wilson at an ABA conference in late 2022, I realized right away that I had a great prospect.

At the time, Paul was still sitting on the bench, so we decided to wait until he reached mandatory retirement.

Paul is in fact now retired; but he remains very active in a number of law related activities.

In this episode, Paul shares his wisdom on judicial careers. What does it mean to transition from litigator to judge? What are the pluses? What are the potential minuses? And how do you position yourself for a judgeship?

In the Spring of 2023, The Honorable Paul Wilson retired from the Massachusetts Superior Court, the highest trial court in the Commonwealth. He sat for over a decade on the Superior Court after being in private practice for 30 years at the law firm of Mintz Levin.

Paul spent most of his career doing real estate, land use, and environmental litigation. He has always had a strong commitment to public service and has received a number of awards for his pro bono and volunteer efforts.