Boston - Governor Maura Healey today nominated Andrew Hoffman and Jeannie Rhinehart to the Juvenile Court. The nominees will now be considered by the Governor’s Council for confirmation.

“Our Juvenile Court serves to protect the rights of children and families across the state,” said Governor Healey. “That’s why I’m excited to nominate both of these talented attorneys to the Court. Over the course of their careers, they’ve shown a commitment to Massachusetts families and the rule of law, and I’m confident they will bring the same perspective to our Juvenile Court. We’re grateful for the work of the Governor’s Council as they consider these nominations.”

“We’re proud to nominate these two dedicated attorneys to serve on the Juvenile Court,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “They’ve shown a deep appreciation and understanding of the law and a desire to protect children and families. We look forward to working with the Governor’s Council to confirm these nominees.”  

The mission of the Juvenile Court is to protect children from abuse and neglect, to promote opportunities for children to reside in safe, stable, permanent family environments, to strengthen families, to rehabilitate juveniles, and to protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court Department has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters including delinquencies, youthful offender cases, care and protection matters and children requiring assistance cases. It has 42 judges, including the Chief Justice, sitting in over 40 courthouses.

For more information about the Juvenile Court, visit its homepage. Governor Healey has previously nominated Audrey Murillo, Fabiola White, Jennifer Currie, Tiffanie Ellis-Niles and Karin Wilinski to the Juvenile Court.

About the Nominees

Andrew Hoffman is a juvenile law specialist with over two decades of experience representing children, parents, relatives, guardians, and foster and pre-adoptive parents in child abuse and neglect proceedings in the Juvenile, Probate and Family, and appellate courts. He was with the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) for over 15 years, starting as a trial attorney and eventually becoming the Managing Attorney of the Boston office of the CPCS Children and Family Law Division (CAFL). Since opening his solo practice in 2015, he has continued his work in child abuse and neglect law in addition to his representation of clients in juvenile delinquency and special education matters. He has served as the CAFL Resource Attorney in Southern Middlesex County, a mentor for court-appointed trial and appellate attorneys, a consultant with the Medical Legal Partnership in Boston, a member of the MBA’s Juvenile and Child Welfare Section Council, and a member of the BBO’s Professional Discipline Pro Bono Panel. He has a B.A. from Princeton University and a J.D. from University of Pittsburgh Law School. He resides in Milton with his wife and child.

Jeannie M. Rhinehart has dedicated her legal career to representing parents and children in custodial disputes. She currently manages the Brockton office of the Committee for Public Counsel Services' (CPCS) Children and Family Law Division and carries a case load providing legal representation. She has been at CPCS for over 10 years and prior to that, she was a Case Manager at the Dimock Community Health Center and a Fraud Investigator at the Massachusetts Division of Unemployment Assistance. She has a B.A. from Pine Manor College and a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law. She currently resides in Whitman.