By Carol Britton Meyer

Hull’s Karis North isn’t only an attorney who represents several communities in the state, she’s also the newly elected president of the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association.

North, a lawyer with Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, LLP in Braintree, recently assumed the top leadership role in the trade association, which was formed in 1946 and includes hundreds of members who provide legal services to cities, towns, and for-profit and non-profit organizations.

North’s election to this role recognizes her “longstanding commitment to local governmental law and the distinction she enjoys among her peers,” according to an announcement on the MHTL website. An MMLA member since 2010, she has served on the board of directors since 2018.

In her role as president, she is “the face of the organization in the community, and CEO of the association, overseeing all of its activities,” she told The Hull Times.

Typically, attorneys who are elected president have already served a term as the elected vice president after being on the board for several years, demonstrating a commitment to, and ability to lead, the organization.

“That was the path I took,” North said. “I am thrilled and honored to be in this position. It means a lot to me that my colleagues and peers in the profession have entrusted me with this role.”

Attorneys who are members of the association represent local governments or other municipal or local entities, such as a school committee, a fire district, or a particular local board or committee in a specific legal action. Some communities contract a large firm with multiple attorneys to provide counsel, unlike Hull, which appoints an individual to the position annually.

North is the latest in a long line of MHTL attorneys to serve as president of the MMLA, and its predecessor, the City Solicitor and Town Counsel Association, which reflects the firm’s commitment to public service and public law.

In her role with MHTL, North advises and represents municipal clients with all facets of their legal affairs. She wears a number of hats, currently serving as town counsel for Natick and Mendon and as Newburyport’s city solicitor.

North also represents the town of Dartmouth on 40B comprehensive permit applications, advising the select board and zoning board of appeals throughout the process. In addition, she represents municipalities in land-use and environmental litigation, civil rights, and licensing, among other areas.

“It’s important for local governments and boards to have proper representation, because it’s at the town and city level where local government impacts citizens the most directly,” she explained. “It’s how their roads get repaired, their water is provided, their children are educated, and to whom they pay property taxes. There’s a lot of responsibility on municipal governments, and they need good legal representation to ensure they are acting consistent with the law, and when challenged, that they are appropriately represented and defended.”

Local government is a “very specialized area,” North said, “and I think it’s important to assist them in doing their job well and to be part of the team that helps provide services to the community.”

When asked how she keeps it all straight, North said she has “been doing this for a while now, and I have a lot of lists! I also have a terrific team – it’s not just me providing these services.

“Over time you come to know your clients and how they operate so that you can anticipate things,” she said. “You can also learn from work done for other clients, which could be useful in figuring out an answer to a question relating to a different client.”

North moved to Hull in late summer 1999, attracted by the beach and desiring to be on the South Shore so she would be close to Boston, where she worked at the time.

“I took the ferry to work for a number of years and fell in love with the community,” she said. “I love it here – the people, the neighborhoods, the great friends I have made, and the number of citizens who volunteer.”

While North said her neighbors “would tell you that they don’t see me around much during the week because I’m usually out with clients or at my office,” she has found time in the past to serve as a library trustee, on the bylaw review committee, and as the Hull representative serving on the board of the Straits Pond Watershed Association.

“I’m very committed to local government and advocacy in both my professional and personal life,” she said.

After growing up in Maryland, North graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s of science degree in animal science and worked for the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C.

“However, I found I was better at reading, writing, and arguing that I was at being a scientist, so I decided to attend Vermont Law School, where I got my juris doctorate,” North said.

After practicing law at a large firm in D.C. for three years, she worked for a number of firms in Boston before joining Murphy, Hesse, Toomey & Lehane, one of the 50 largest law firms in Massachusetts, in 2006.

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