Boston - Governor Maura Healey today is thanking her Chief Legal Counsel, Paige Scott Reed, who has announced that she will leave the administration this month to return to the private sector. Governor Healey has appointed Jesse M. Boodoo to be Scott Reed’s successor. 

Paige Scott Reed was one of Governor Healey’s first appointments in December 2022. She is the first African American woman to lead the Governor’s legal office. Scott Reed has been a key part of the mechanics of bringing great ideas to fruition right from the beginning. She brought together a team of lawyers from across secretariats to draft effective legislation as Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll worked to drive greater affordability and transform housing, beginning with the creation of the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities. 

Scott Reed and her team, which included a historically diverse and richly talented Judicial Nominating Commission, also shepherded an impressive collection of judges through the judicial nominating process. Governor Healey has appointed two Supreme Judicial Court Justices, three Appeals Court justices, and more than 60 judges overall, not to mention a historic register of probate, three additions to the Parole Board, and several clerk magistrates. Scott Reed has earned the steady support of the Governor’s Council and the appreciation of the judiciary.  

“I’m deeply grateful to Paige Scott Reed for her service to our administration and to the people of Massachusetts. She leaves an enduring legacy – from the lives that have been transformed because of her work on clemency to the dozens of judges she helped nominate to the bench whose decisions will shape our state for generations to come. We wish her the absolute best in her next steps,” said Governor Maura Healey. “Jesse Boodoo has been a trusted advisor to me for years, and he has a track record of bringing people together and getting results. We are thrilled to see him step into this new role.”

“Paige and Jesse are both valued members of our team and their leadership has had positive impacts for our administration and the people of Massachusetts,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We thank Paige for her outstanding service and wish her luck going forward. We are excited to see all that Jesse will accomplish as Chief Legal Counsel.”

The Healey-Driscoll Administration brought a renewed focus to executive clemency and the work of the Parole Board. During Scott Reed’s tenure, Governor Healey pardoned 21 individuals and issued a blanket pardon for simple marijuana convictions that is impacting hundreds of thousands of people. This month, Governor Healey announced four more pardons that will soon be considered by the Governor’s Council. Because of this historic work, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has made more equitable use of pardon power, reworked the Governor’s new clemency guidelines to be more just and effective, and nominated Parole Board members with the experience, knowledge, and commitment to support the process of rehabilitation and reentry. The Parole Board is also more reflective of the diversity of Massachusetts and more energized to do hard reentry work.

“It has been an incredible honor to work for Governor Healey, Lieutenant Governor Driscoll and this entire administration,” said Paige Scott Reed. “I'm proud of the work we have done together to create a stronger Massachusetts and make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. I know the Governor's Office will be in good hands with Jesse Boodoo as Chief Legal Counsel, and I look forward to seeing all that the team will continue to get done in the years ahead.”

Prior to joining the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Scott Reed was a Partner at Prince Lobel Tye LLP and had previously worked as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA and also served as Corporate Secretary and General Counsel to the Boston 2024 Partnership for the city’s Olympic bid. She received her A.B. from Harvard College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she was an Executive Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Scott Reed is also a past president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association.

Jesse Boodoo currently serves as Deputy Chief Legal Counsel in the Governor’s Office, where he advises on a wide range of legal matters and is one of the principal legal advisors to the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Since the early days of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Boodoo has helped lead the Governor’s Legal Office, supervising the legal departments of secretariats, overseeing major litigation involving the executive branch, and directing the review and drafting of legislation.

“I’m honored to be appointed Chief Legal Counsel by Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll,” said Jesse Boodoo. “I’m grateful for Paige’s leadership and guidance these past couple of years. I look forward to the opportunity to build on her important work to faithfully represent the Governor’s Office, nominate highly qualified judges to the courts and advance clemency recommendations that are rooted in equity and fairness.”

Previously, Boodoo served as Managing Attorney of the Trial Division of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, representing state agencies, public officials, and employees in matters involving employment issues, civil rights, administrative law, wrongful convictions, and ballot initiatives. He also served as Acting General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA, worked as a litigator at Ropes & Gray focusing on civil and criminal appellate work, and clerked on the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

Boodoo has held numerous volunteer roles, including as a member and former Vice Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers and a member of the Supreme Judicial Court’s Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Civil Procedure. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brown University and a Juris Doctor from Boston University School of Law. He resides in Newton with his wife and two children.

Statements of Support

Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer: 
“From the very first days of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, Paige has been a smart, creative, and practical partner. Her thoughtful counsel ensured that the Climate Office would have the necessary authority to make a lasting impact. Paige is a seasoned and pragmatic lawyer who understands how government works. Her skill and commitment helped make the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank—the Nation’s first green bank dedicated to affordable housing—a reality. We are very grateful for her contributions to the work of the Climate Office.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh: 
“Paige was a calm voice in the storm, whose hard work, strategic thinking, and legal acumen played a key role in helping the administration chart a path that avoided really significant damage to our healthcare system after the collapse of Steward Health Care. The team will really miss her, but we are happy for her and excited to see what she takes on as her next challenge.” 
 
Abim Thomas, Chair of the Judicial Nominating Commission:  
“The judges who have joined the judiciary during the Healey-Driscoll Administration are a lot like Paige, highly accomplished, fiercely intelligent, hardworking, passionate about public service, fair minded, empathetic, and above all committed to ensuring that the Commonwealth is and remains a place where liberty and justice for all is not just a pledge, but a reality. It has been an honor to work with the Healey Driscoll administration to achieve that result.”

Kimberly S. Budd, Chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts: 
“The people in the Commonwealth are fortunate that Paige was willing to devote her talents and skills to public service. From the point of view of the judiciary, we appreciate her dedication to the selection of excellent judges.”

Mary Strother, General Counsel, Northeastern University:  
“Paige is an extraordinary lawyer and leader, who leaves a widely respected legacy of success as Chief Legal Counsel. She has been a tremendous steward of the Judicial Nominating Commission in recommending for nomination to the bench the top legal minds in the Commonwealth, and a historically diverse set of nominees.”

“I have had the pleasure of working with Jesse Boodoo for several years both at the Attorney General’s Office and in his current role. He is a brilliant legal mind with impeccable character and judgment. Jesse is the perfect choice to succeed Paige as the Governor’s Chief Legal Counsel.”

Joshua Levy, former U.S. Attorney of Massachusetts, now a partner at Ropes & Gray: 
“Having known Jesse Boodoo for nearly 20 years, I can attest to his outstanding qualities as a lawyer. Jesse has a keen sense of justice, a commitment to public service and sound judgment. The Healey-Driscoll Administration and every resident of Massachusetts will benefit by having someone of Jesse’s character and integrity in this important role.”

Michael Cassidy, Professor at Boston College Law School and Chair of the Board of Bar Overseers: 
“The Commonwealth will be very well served by having Jesse Boodoo as Chief Legal Counsel. A true ‘lawyer’s lawyer,’ Jesse combines keen intellect, deep experience in state government, and a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to legal problem solving.”