Hon. William Travaun Bailey is an associate justice of the Cambridge District Court in Massachusetts. He was appointed to the bench by Governor Charlie Baker in 2021. He filled the vacancy created by the retirement of the Hon. Michele B. Hogan (Ret.).
Bailey attended Elmira College, where he received a B.S. in political science in 1998. While pursuing his bachelor’s degree, he worked as a student teacher in the Political Science Department of the college. He then completed a J.D. at Western New England College School of Law in 2001.
In law school, Bailey represented the state of Massachusetts in court for bail hearings, evidentiary motions, and pre-trial work as a part of the Criminal Law Clinic and was a member of the Multi-Cultural Law Student Association.
He began his legal career as an associate at the Law Office of Hal Etkin, where he served as a law clerk during law school beginning in 2000. He remained in practice there until 2015.
In concurrence with that position, Bailey opened his own civil and criminal litigation solo practice in 2002. In that capacity, he handled a caseload involving employment law, contracts, personal injury, medical malpractice, family law, criminal law, and consumer protection matters. He also appeared before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination in employment law matters and before the District and Superior Courts in matters pertaining to criminal law.
Bailey served as president and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hampden County Bar Association and was on the Board of Directors of the Hampden County Lawyers for Justice, Inc. He is also a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and served on the Criminal Law Section Counsel.