Cheryl Jacques, the past President and Executive Director of the Human Rights Campaign in Washington, D.C. and a former Massachusetts senator, is of counsel to Brody, Hardoon, Perkins and Kesten, LLP. Honored for her legislative accomplishments on behalf of crime victims, women, children, consumers and the environment by more than twenty organizations during her eleven years as a senator, Ms. Jacques was featured in the June, 2003 edition of Boston Magazine as one of the 100 most influential women in Boston.

Ms. Jacques appears frequently as a legal commentator on such television programs and networks as Dateline NBC, Good Morning America, Fox News National, MSNBC, American Justice, Final Justice, Court TV, and Emily Rooney’s Greater Boston. She has tried hundreds of cases throughout the district and superior courts of Massachusetts. She has also argued before the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Supreme Judicial Court.

Practice Areas

Ms. Jacques’ legal practice focuses on civil recovery for crime victims. She also provides trainings for police and social service providers. As a legislator, Ms. Jacques chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Post Audit & Oversight Committee, the Senate Steering and Policy Senator, and she was a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

Ms. Jacques was the driving force behind the passage of dozens of laws that help consumers, taxpayers, crime victims, and the environment. Ms. Jacques drafted or sponsored laws that:

• Criminalized Terrorist Threats in Schools, Transportation Centers and Other Places of Assembly
• Strengthened Regulations for Retail Scanners, Gas Pumps and Other Measuring Devices
• Established the Nation’s Strictest Gun Control Measures and Enhanced Penalties for Illegal Gun Possession
• Established a "Do Not Call" List for Telemarketers
• Criminalized Elder Abuse
• Protect Whistleblowers Who Expose Fraud Against the Taxpayers
• Permit Judges to Hold Certain Dangerous Offenders Without Bail
• Established the Statewide DNA Database
• Limited Municipal Liability, Saving Taxpayers Millions of Dollars
• Established Penalties for Using Computers to Commit Crimes
• Provide Health Insurance Coverage for Supplies, Equipment and Training for Diabetics
• Criminalized the Use of Another’s Identity to Apply for Credit.
• Simplfied Crime Victim Compensation
• Prevent “Power Slamming,” the Unauthorized Switching of Energy Suppliers Without Consumer Consent
• Established the Victims of Drunk Driving Trust Fund
• Extended the Statute of Limitations for Filing Workplace Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaints Against an Employer
• Require Clergy Members to Report Incidents of Child Abuse to the Department of Social Services
• Provide Financial Assistance to Homeowners Required to Remove Lead Paint, Repair Septic Tanks and Remove Underground Fuel Storage Tanks
• Established a Presumption Against the Award of Custody to an Abusive Parent and Required Judges to Consider Evidence of Domestic Violence in Determining Custody and Visitation
• Permit Voter Registration at the Registry of Motor Vehicles, Certain State Agencies, and by Mail
• Established a Child Fatality Review Team in Massachusetts
• Established a Board of Registration of Home Inspectors, Required Home Inspectors to Be Licensed, to Meet Certain Minimum Standards of Practice, and to Carry at Least $250,000 of Insurance.
• Reformed the Victim Bill of Rights

Prior Experience

Prior to her election to the Massachusetts Senate, Ms. Jacques served the Commonwealth as an Assistant Attorney General in the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General, where she handled civil litigation involving contracts, torts, eminent domain, and wage enforcement. Before joining the Attorney General’s Office, Senator Jacques was an Assistant District Attorney for Middlesex County, where she tried cases in Superior and District Court and supervised the Lowell Jury of Six session.

Teaching and Publications

Ms. Jacques is an Adjunct Professor at Suffolk University Law School and George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management.

Awards and Honors

Ms. Jacques has received the following awards and honors for her work fighting crime, protecting the rights of victims, saving taxpayer dollars, supporting homeowners, and protecting the environment:

• Massachusetts Municipal Association Legislator of the Year
• City Solicitors and Town Counsel Association President’s Award
• Charles River Watershed Association President's Award
• Massachusetts Psychological Association Legislator of the Year
• Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Knight of the Round Table Award
• Massachusetts Police Association Legislator of the Year
• Massachusetts Horticultural Society Elm Bank Partnership Award
• Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts Dr. Ken Edelin Award
• Massachusetts Victim/Witness Assistance Board Senator of the Year
• Massachusetts Association of Health Boards Legislator of the Year
• American Diabetes Association Volunteer Recognition Award
• Stop Handgun Violence Leadership Award
• Massachusetts Association of Councils on Aging Legislative Achievement Award
• Massachusetts Battered Women's Legal Assistance Project Award
• Jewish Community Relations Council Legislator of the Year
• Massachusetts Recreation and Park Association Legislator of the Year
• Louis D. Brown Peace Institute "Thinking Out of the Box" Award
• Mount Ida College Leadership Award
• Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation Leadership Award
• Women’s Bar Association Special Recognition Award

Education

Ms. Jacques received her bachelor’s degree from Boston College School of Business Administration. She graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 1987.

Professional and Community Affiliations

Ms. Jacques is a member of the bar in Massachusetts, Florida and the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the YMCA, the Board of Trustees of the Katharine Gibbs School, the Board of Overseers of the Joslin Diabetes Center, and the Board of Trustees of Newbury College.