The Honorable Barbara Dortch-Okara

Professor of Law

Judge **Barbara Dortch-Okara** has been a professor of law at the New England School of Law since January 2013. In December 2013, she was appointed by Governor Deval Patrick to the position of Chair of the State Ethics Commission. Judge Dortch-Okara was a justice of the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1989 until her retirement from the bench in 2012. Prior to her elevation to the Superior Court, she served as a justice of the Boston Municipal Court. From 1998 to 2003, she served a five-year term as Chief Justice for Administration and Management of the Trial Court. In 1992, Barbara Dortch-Okara joined her husband, Dr. Ebi Okara, as a member of Trinity Church Boston. She was elected to Trinity’s Vestry in 2005 and served a four-year term; as a Vestry member, she was appointed by the Rector to the Trinity Church Anti-Racism Planning and Design Task Force. The work of this task force resulted in the formation of Trinity’s Anti-Racism Team in 2007; Barbara was a member of the Anti-Racism Team for three years. She has been a volunteer and rider for the Team Trinity Ride for Kids outreach ministry for many years.