The Charles S. Cohen Scholarship Fund

Charles S. Cohen
Partner, Egan, Flanagan & Cohen, Springfield;
Associate Justice, Hampden County District Court

A bar leader and accomplished practitioner. In his service on the bench, he encouraged and guided new lawyers in ethical advocacy.

MCLE has joined together with the family, former colleagues and many friends of the late Charles S. Cohen (1931–2004) to commemorate Mr. Cohen’s remarkable intellectual achievements both as a judge and as a lawyer; and his ethical advocacy for the rights of others. Mr. Cohen, a former Hampden County District Court judge and a luminary of the Hampton County bar, passed away on February 16, 2004.

On the bench, Judge Cohen possessed a father’s concern for the rights of litigants before him. Many lawyers who appeared in Judge Cohen's courtroom early on in their careers recall that he recognized and affirmed great advocacy skills when he observed them; yet never was too busy to teach, encourage and boost the morale of those who lacked confidence in their abilities. An inspiration to lawyers as well as to his fellow judges, Mr. Cohen exemplified the role of judge as teacher. It is this spirit of education that MCLE has established the scholarship fund in his memory. Charles Cohen was a civil trial lawyer for most of his life. He served as a partner with several law firms in Springfield and Boston, including Bulkley, Richardson and Gelinas, Sugarman & Sugarman, and most recently with Egan, Flanagan & Cohen in Springfield, where he remained “of Counsel” even after retiring to East Orleans on Cape Cod.

Active in his civic and legal communities, Mr. Cohen helped to institute the Springfield Civic Center; served as bar president of the Hampden County Bar Association; was a member and former chair of the Massachusetts Bar of Overseers. He also served both as special commissioner to the Massachusetts Judicial Conduct Commission and as a member of the Judicial Nominating Council for Western Massachusetts.

DONORS

Robert G. Agnoli
William E. Bernstein
Philip J. Callan Jr. and Doris A. Callan
Mary E. Carter
The Champagne Family
Arlene, David, Jonathan and Jill Cohen
Egan, Flanagan and Cohen PC
Eleanor Cress
Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Dinn
Paul S. Doherty
Regina M. and Henry M. Downey
Elaine M. Epstein
Edward J. Fleming III
Richard M. Gaberman
Grand View Properties Association, Inc.
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Lester L. and Roberta T. Halpern
Hampden County Bar Association
Dick and Gail Hanson
Philip J. Hendel
Hon. George C. Keady, Jr.
The Ladies Bridge Club
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce A. MacPherson
Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company
William R. and Sandra Moriarty
Richard M. and Jane Page
Nancy L. Coiner and Michael A. Ponsor
Gilda Tuoni Russell
W. Michael and Judith Ryan
Donald and Maryann Snyder
Paul R. Sugarman
Hon. Charles B. Swartwood III
Cynthia and William Treene
William T. Walsh
George B. and Renate Wasserman
Toni G. Wolfman