---
title: "Diana H. Horan | KnowJudges"
canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/diana-h-horan-ma"
page_type: "judge_profile"
updated: "2026-10-07"
---

# Diana H. Horan

Massachusetts Housing Court · Chief Justice

## Profile

- Court: Massachusetts Housing Court
- State: Massachusetts
- Role: Chief Justice
- Service status: active

## Summary

Diana H. Horan — Massachusetts Housing Court

## Sources

- [Housing Court Justices](https://www.mass.gov/info-details/housing-court-justices)

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## Biography

### Professional career

- Trial Court Chief Justice Jeffrey A. Locke announced Horan’s appointment on February 24, 2023, in accordance with G.L. c.211B,.5
- The Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Housing Court, appointed for a five‐year term beginning March 25, 2023, and is the first woman to hold that role
- In 2018, became Acting First Justice of the new MetroSouth Division
- First woman judge appointed to the Massachusetts Housing Court in 1999
- held the role of First Justice of the Central Housing Court Division in Worcester for almost 20 years
- In her own words, Horan is “mindful” of following Chief Justice Sullivan’s leadership through geographic expansion and the pandemic, and aims to continue that steady guidance

### Education


### Additional information

- Horan’s appointment marks a milestone for women in the Massachusetts judiciary and for the Housing Court’s mission to provide fair, efficient, and timely resolution of housing disputes
- She succeeded Chief Justice Timothy F. Sullivan, who retired after nearly 20 years on the Housing Court, including over seven years as chief.
- Diversity and inclusion — the Housing Court’s staff is over 73% female and more than 42% identify as diverse; she plans to promote diversity in leadership through outreach and public education



## Published courtroom rules

### Shared court rules

- [Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:19: Electronic access to the courts](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-20acbd9da185f40e1f10b2b2) — Scope is limited to the court class in the source claim.  Shared court context only; case-type restrictions, exceptions, later amendments and case orders apply. This is not a personal preference or a complete rules inventory. [Official source](https://www.mass.gov/supreme-judicial-court-rules/supreme-judicial-court-rule-119-electronic-access-to-the-courts). Collected 2026-07-26.