[Sidebar] The Worcester Phoenix
September 15 - 22, 2000

[Features]

Loring Lamoureux
Clerk of Courts

Questions Answers
1. Historically, this is a low-profile job. Why should voters care about who is their clerk of courts?
 While being low-profile, the clerk of courts' position is an integral part of the Superior Court process. It is a position that requires legal training and experience in order to work in harmony with the judges, attorneys, and members of the public who require the services of the clerk.
2. What does the clerk of courts do on a daily basis?
 By law, the clerk is the keeper of the records. Every paper that is filed must be entered in the computer and kept in its own jacket until needed in court. The clerk, by knowing and interpreting the various sets of rules and laws, assists the judges and, where appropriate, advises the attorneys, the public and his staff.
3. Should the clerk of courts be a lawyer, and why?
 I believe the clerk should be an attorney and have 10 years experience in the clerk's office. If the clerk is an attorney with no experience, or is not an attorney but has the experience, he could in time become a competent clerk. If a person is not an attorney and has no experience the result would be chaos.
4. What makes you the right person for the job?
 I am an attorney. I have worked in the clerk's office for 41 years. I have been the clerk for the past 13 years. Lawyers Weekly recently rated our office as the best in the state.
5. Should the clerk of courts be an advocate for the public, like those who serve in other elected positions?
 Certainly not. The duties I have outlined above constitute a full-time job for the clerk. He should not be out politicking or grabbing headlines; rather, he should be assisting the public who are constantly seeking his advice, rather than pandering to them.
6. Describe, in your opinion, the current condition of the operations of the Superior Court.
 It is excellent. Obviously Lawyers Weekly agrees. We are completely modernized except for the building itself. I have requested that we have eight courtrooms in the new courthouse. That will double the [current] number of courtrooms from three to six available to dispose of civil cases.


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