United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts
The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts is the federal district court whose territorial jurisdiction is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The first court session was held in Boston in 1789. The second term was held in Salem in 1790 and court session locations alternated between the two cities until 1813. That year, Boston became the court's permanent home. A western division was opened in Springfield in 1979 and a central division was opened in Worcester in 1987. The court's main building is the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse on Fan Pier in South Boston.
Appeals from the District of Massachusetts are heard by the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, also located in the Moakley courthouse.
U.S. Attorney's Office
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Massachusetts represents the United States in civil and criminal litigation in the court. The current U.S. Attorney is Andrew Lelling.Federal Public Defender's Office
The Federal Public Defender's Office represents individuals who cannot afford to hire a lawyer in federal criminal cases and related matters. The office is assigned to cases by the district courts in three districts, and by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.Current judges
Vacancies and pending nominations
| Seat | Prior Judge's Duty Station | Seat last held by | Vacancy reason | Date of vacancy | Nominee | Date of nomination |
| 6 | Boston | Douglas P. Woodlock | Senior Status | June 1, 2015 | ||
| 14 | Boston | George A. O'Toole Jr. | Senior Status | January 1, 2018 |
Former judges
Chief judges
Succession of seats
List of U.S. Attorneys
Notable cases
- Ghen v. Rich .