News UMass Law: Phelan Looks Back on an Accomplished 2022

UMass Law Adjunct faculty member Judge George Phelan looks back on an accomplished year.

UMass Law Adjunct faculty member Judge George Phelan had a busy 2022. In April, at the American Bar Association Annual Family Law Conference in New Orleans, he addressed the opening plenary panel about a judge's view on bias in family law courtrooms based on immigration status. His talk preceded the publication of his article (co-authored) in the ABA Family Advocate magazine "Immigration Bias in Family Law Practice" in the Winter 2022 edition.

In September, Judge Phelan presented on the panel "Pre-Nuptial Agreements and Decanting as Tools to Protect Inheritance Expectations" for the Massachusetts Social Law Library. In November, Judge Phelan appeared, for the tenth consecutive year, at the Massachusetts Bar Association Annual Probate Law Conference presenting "Post-Death Litigation Involving Non-Probate Assets". That same month, he appeared as a panelist presenting on "Inheritance, Trusts and Divorce" for Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education. His article "Improve Communication with Clients Who Have Limited English Proficiency" appeared in the November 2022 issue of Trusts and Estates Journal.

His scholarly work has also appeared in the Journal of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and Women Lawyers Journal. He has presented at over 80 CLEs since 2010. Law, limited English proficiency, and access to justice are important to Judge Phelan as he was a non-English speaking emigrant to the U.S. in an era where English as a Second Language type resources were unavailable. Judge Phelan has been on the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court bench since 2010 shortly after he finished his service in Iraq. He proudly served as an Army JAG officer with active duty in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Division.