The Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission was originally created by an order of the Supreme Judicial Court in February 2005, based on a proposal submitted by the Massachusetts State Planning Board for Civil Legal Services. The Commission had 21 members and was chaired by Herbert P. Wilkins, Chief Justice (ret.) of the Supreme Judicial Court.

The Commission issued four annual reportsand one report based on a series of hearings.

The Supreme Judicial Court reconstituted the Commission at the

end of the five years specified in the original order. In February

2010 the initial Commission turned over its pending business to

the reconstituted Commission.