Vanessa Vélez

Professional career

• Governor Maura Healey nominated Vanessa Vélez in March 2024 alongside Rebeca G. Figueroa and Steven S. Kim as Associate Justices of the Boston Municipal Court
• Vélez set bail at $200 and ordered the defendant to remain away from the prosecutor and the court except for official business

Education

Additional information

• In November 2024, she presided over a case in West Roxbury Municipal Court where a woman was charged with threatening a prosecutor
• She has 18 years of legal service as a public defender for CPCS and as a private bar attorney.
• Her responsibilities include managing units such as Criminal Trial Support, Appeals & Post-Conviction, Parole Advocacy, Immigration Impact, and Social Services Advocacy
• Vélez has also held the role of Attorney-in-Charge and Supervising Attorney for the CPCS Boston Trial Office, and was a faculty member in Harvard Law School’s Trial Advocacy Workshop
• She has participated in commissions focused on improving court access, equity, and public trust, and is a member of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s Steering Committee on Bar Admissions
• Vélez is the Deputy Chief Counsel of the Private Counsel Division for the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS), where she oversees legal services for about 80% of indigent clients in Massachusetts.
• Vanessa Vélez is a seasoned legal professional with deep experience in public defense, advocacy, and judicial leadership.