Judge John Cratsley (Ret.): A mediation and arbitration champion of the community

Hon. John C. Cratsley (Ret.)

The Office of Clinical and Pro Bono Programs offers its heartfelt congratulations to Lecturer on Law and Director of the Judicial Process in Trial Courts Clinic, Judge John C. Cratsley (Ret.) on his Community Peacemaker Award.

The award was presented on October 14, 2015 by the Community Dispute Settlement Center (CDSC), a private, not-for-profit mediation and training center dedicated to providing an alternative and affordable forum for resolving conflict. The award celebrates the accomplishments of the mediation community. CDSC also honored the Founder and Executive Director of InnerCity Weightlifting Jon Feinman and the Cambridge Rindge & Latin Mediation Team with similar Community Peacemaker Awards.

Community Dispute Settlement Center’s Profile of Judge John Cratsley 

The Honorable John Cratsley (Ret.) is a mediator and arbitrator in the JAMS Boston Office. JAMS is an internationally recognized ADR firm. His mediations and arbitrations frequently involve business and employment disputes as well as construction and commercial matters.

Prior to joining JAMS in early 2012, Judge Cratsley served on the Massachusetts Superior Court from 1987 to 2011 and on the District Court from 1973 to 1983. In the interim period, 1983 to 1987, he was Chief of the Public Protection Bureau for Attorney General Frank Bellotti. While on the Superior Court, Judge Cratsley served as Regional Administrative Judge in both Suffolk and Norfolk Counties.

Judge Cratsley was instrumental in the passage of the Uniform Rules on Dispute Resolution which were developed during his tenure as Chair of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Committee on Dispute Resolution from 1999 to 2004.

Judge Cratsley currently teaches both at Boston College and Harvard Law School as well as in MCLE and Bar Association continuing education programs. He currently volunteers as a mediator in Suffolk Superior Court for those who cannot afford private mediation. He also serves on the Planning Board and the Community Preservation Committee in his hometown of Concord.

Judge Cratsley is a member of the Board of Directors of Communities for Restorative Justice, a community-based restorative justice program working with police departments in twelve suburban cities and towns. He recently completed two years as one of the five retired judges appointed Special Judicial Magistrates to hear cases resulting from the faulty state drug lab work of the now convicted chemist Annie Dookhan.

On and off the bench, Judge Cratsley’s work continues to reflect his commitment to community peacemaking, an outstanding lifetime achievement.