Massachusetts Bar Directory

For years and years the Worcester Public Library received, as a gift, a used set of the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. When this stopped we found ourselves in a bind because the volume containing Massachusetts law firms and lawyers was heavily used.

After looking around for a substitute that would fit into our budget I found, for less than $70, the Massachusetts Lawyers Diary and Manual; a bar directory of Massachusetts. The only aspect of the directory that I took note of after it arrived was the arrangement of the lawyers and firms. The directory then sat on our reference shelf for months without much consideration from me until I began to get ready for a workshop on reference books.

What I have since discovered is that this item is truly a gem! If we were only looking for a bar directory it does this beautifully. The text contains an alphabetical arrangement of lawyers with contact information, date of admission to the Massachusetts Bar, and the name of the law firm and their affiliation. A second directory is arranged by city and then alphabetically by name of the lawyer. A third directory lists attorneys grouped by areas of practice.

The following is a list of some, but not all of what this directory has to offer

• A comprehensive directory by county of all federal and state courts, court personnel, sheriffs offices, district attorney offices, correctional facilities, probation offices, law libraries, registry offices, deeds and probate offices, and more.


• A municipal directory with the name, address, and telephone numbers of all town officials and departments.


• Area code and zip code directory for all cities and towns in Massachusetts.


• A court reporters directory.


• The exact cost for all filing fees and transaction fees in the state and federal courts, the registry of deeds, plus the fees of sheriffs and constables, and more.


• Digest of federal and state civil procedure.


• The ABC's of Massachusetts estate tax, divorce procedure, marriage, and motor vehicle law.


• Comprehensive directory of all state departments and agencies, key personnel and contact information.


• A listing of all Massachusetts correctional institutions.


• A directory of all federal departments and agencies, descriptive summary, key personnel, and contact information.


• National directory that includes, for each state, key departments, boards, and administrative and municipal offices.


• A directory of affidavit of non-military service record sources.


• Where to write for overseas birth and death records.


• A list of Massachusetts hospitals, health centers and rehabs arranged by city.


• A directory of Massachusetts insurance companies.


• A list of Massachusetts law schools and key departments.


• Federal and state holidays for each state.


• A directory of all federal, state, and county judges alphabetically arranged.


• A directory of Bar Associations.


• All legal aid and referral services arranged by county.

The Manual is published annually out of Newark New Jersey. You can go to their website at http://www.lawdiary.com/ or you can call them at (800) 444-4041.