Montpelier, Vt. – Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Joseph Lorman as Family Division Magistrate serving Rutland, Bennington and Addison Counties.
The Family Division of the Superior Court has jurisdiction over all family-related legal matters, including divorce, separation, civil union dissolution and parentage. As magistrate, Lorman will preside over and make decisions in family-related proceedings.
Lorman, a Rutland resident, currently serves as the southwest regional staff attorney for the Vermont Office of Child Support (OCS) and has represented the office in numerous hearings in the Family Division.
“Joe has demonstrated a superior record of integrity, fairness, diligence and knowledge of the law, and is incredibly well suited for this role with the judiciary,” said Gov. Scott. “His work to improve the economic security of Vermont’s children at the Office of Child Support gives him valuable perspective into Vermont’s families that will serve our citizens and the courts well.”
Prior to his work with OCS, Lorman served as an attorney at Rutland-based Ryan, Smith & Carbine, LTD and as a contract attorney in Washington, DC. Previously, he worked at the Federal Trade Commission as an Honors Paralegal Specialist, and interned in both the Office of Counsel to the President of the United States and at the Office of the Attorney General in Boston.
“Family court proceedings involve important and personal legal matters. I appreciate the opportunity to carry out the court's mission of protecting Vermont’s children and serving Vermont's families in the fairest way possible,” said Lorman.
Lorman, who will fill a vacancy left by Mary G. Harlow upon her retirement, was selected by the Governor from a list of three highly qualified nominees recommended by the Judicial Nominating Board. His term expires on March 31, 2023.
A native Vermonter, Lorman graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in Rutland and from Boston College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree, cum laude, in Political Science. He earned his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Albany Law School in 2005.