Ernest M. Haddad

Ernest M. Haddad has spent the largest part of his professional life serving as the general counsel of large nonprofit and government organizations involved in healthcare services, research, education, financing, and regulation. He has also enjoyed a secondary career in legal education.

Ern grew up in Boston, graduated from Trinity College (Connecticut) in 1960, and Boston University School of Law in 1964. After two years in general civil practice with a small Boston law firm, Ern returned to BU Law to serve as Assistant Dean, responsible for all student affairs and services. He also co-taught a course in Law and Psychiatry.

In 1971, Ern left BU Law to enter public service. During the ensuing 32 years, he held three consecutive founding General Counsel positions — at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Human Services (1971-1975), Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts (1976-1980), and The Massachusetts General Hospital and Partners HealthCare System (now Mass General Brigham) (1981-2002) — creating comprehensive law departments at each organization. The Partners Office of the General Counsel was included in the 1999 Harcourt Brace publication entitled “America’s Greatest Places to Work with a Law Degree.” Upon his retirement from the MGH and Partners in 2002, Partners named him “General Counsel Emeritus” and the MGH established in his honor an annual lecture focused on health policy and ethics. Ern then returned to BU Law where he served as Associate Dean for Graduate Programs from 2002 to 2008 and Associate Dean for Special Projects from 2008 to 2014. At its annual commencement ceremonies, BU Law makes an award in Ern’s name to a graduating Master of Laws student.

Ern has been involved in a number of bar and community service activities, including as a board member for the New England Legal Foundation and several years as an officer and governing board member of both the Boston Bar Association and the Boston Bar Foundation. He served as the chair of the Joint Audit Committee of the BBA and BBF from 2002 through 2008.