The Hon. Randy S. Chapman is an associate justice of the Salem District Court in Massachusetts. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Charlie Baker on July 26, 2017, filling a vacancy created by the passing of the Hon. Michael C. Lauranzano.
Chapman earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1983. He then completed a J.D. at Suffolk University Law School in 1986.
After graduating from law school, Chapman began his legal career as an assistant district attorney for the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. He worked in that capacity until 1991, rising through the ranks to become Chief of the Motor Vehicle Homicide Unit. He then entered into private practice. He became a partner at Chapman & Chapman, a law firm that has offices in Chelsea and Salem.
His memberships have included the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, and the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (president). He also sat on the Supreme Judicial Court’s Task Force on Hiring and Promotions in the Judicial Branch, the Standing Advisory Committee on the Rules of Criminal Procedure, and the Court Management Advisory Board.
He is a recipient of the Outstanding Service Award from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (1999).
While born in Lynn, Massachusetts, Chapman was a resident of Swampscott at the time of his appointment. He has been actively involved with Swampscott Little League, Swampscott Youth Soccer, and the Swampscott-Nahant Youth Basketball Association.
