The Honorable Paul A. Chernoff (Ret.)
The Honorable Paul A. Chernoff (Ret.), of Newton, MA, died peacefully on July 15, 2024, at the age of 85. His passing was peaceful and without pain, with close family by his side. He was a loving husband of 60 years, and a proud father and grandfather.
Born and raised in New Haven, CT, Paul received a mechanical engineering degree from Tufts University in 1961. Upon graduating, he became a Commissioned Officer in the Coast and Geodetic Survey (now the officer corps of the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration), serving on ships in Pearl Harbor, Seattle and Anchorage. After nearly four years of service, he earned a JD, with honors, from George Washington University Law School in 1967. He then served as a Staff Attorney in the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia, representing indigent defendants during turbulent times of protest and political violence. Paul then moved with his family to Massachusetts, where he was appointed Chairman of the Parole Board by Governor Sargent.
Paul was first appointed to the judiciary in 1976, serving on the Newton District Court for eight years before being appointed by Governor Dukakis to the Massachusetts Superior Court where he served for three decades. During his illustrious career, he presided over more than one thousand jury trials and sat in every county and in the vast majority of the state’s district courthouses. He handled high-profile cases with great skill and tact, including the trial of Dr. Dirk Greineder for the murder of his wife in 2001. He was much beloved by court staff and was known for treating litigants, the accused, and families of victims with dignity and respect. He was also a strong believer in the American jury system, going out of his way to show gratitude toward jurors and to make them feel welcome and valued during what many might otherwise consider to be a burden and inconvenience.
After retirement, he was recalled to sit on the Superior Court as a judge and later as a special magistrate to resolve drug laboratory cases. In 2014, he joined the law firm of Brody, Hardoon, Perkins & Kesten LLP, where he presided over mediations, conciliations and arbitration disputes. He was known for going above and beyond to assist the parties in reaching a resolution, for example, by visiting the scene of every dispute where feasible at no expense to the parties. He also worked as an Access to Justice Fellow for Veterans Legal Services, helping fellow veterans in legal matters. Just six weeks before his passing, he won a major legal victory on behalf of a 75-year-old veteran of the Tet Offensive, after selflessly logging hundreds of hours of work on a pro bono basis.
Paul was also an educator, teaching trial practice as an adjunct faculty member at Boston College Law School starting in 1990. He was also a valued faculty member for the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Trial Advocacy program as well as the National Judicial College. Paul taught in these capacities for several decades, inspiring generations of young lawyers and judges. He also helped design and run exchange programs with judges and lawyers from Japan, France, and Russia.
He used his office to bring joy to people, performing wedding ceremonies for dozens of couples, including one ceremony in Fenway Park. He also welcomed new American citizens, performing naturalization ceremonies for people from all over the world.
In 2004, Paul received the Tufts University Career Achievement Award, and in 2007 he was presented with the Haskell Cohn Distinguished Judicial Service Award.
Paul was a marathoner as well as an avid and intrepid outdoorsman, leading family members and colleagues on hiking adventures through some of our country’s greatest natural treasures, including Glacier National Park, the Grand Canyon, Arches, Yellowstone and Yosemite. He was an enthusiastic international traveler and student of languages, taking his family to Quebec for a summer of French immersion and on several trips to Europe. In later years, he developed a passion for writing, dedicating to his grandchildren three published books of life lessons from his own experience, titled “Bench Notes”. Right up to his final days, he entertained and inspired family and friends with weekly essays providing his perspectives on current events and life’s challenges and absurdities.
He is survived by his wife, Lynn Chernoff, his son David, his son Steven and his wife, Naina, and his grandchildren, Rayan, Dhillon and Aliya.
A memorial service will be held at Temple Shalom in Newton, MA on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Paul’s name to Inclusive Pathways to Success, a nonprofit trade school for young adults with differing abilities.