Vice President and General Counsel Margaret H. Marshall has been nominated by Gov. William Weld to become an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) of Massachusetts, the highest court in the state.

"The nomination of Margaret Marshall to the Supreme Judicial Court is wonderful news for the Court and for the people of Massachusetts," said President Neil L. Rudenstine. "But her departure will be a great loss for Harvard. During the past four years, she has provided the University with exceptional leadership, not only as General Counsel, but as a wise and devoted friend and adviser to people throughout the University.

"She has all the abilities and human qualities to be a distinguished judge, and I -- along with all her colleagues at Harvard -- wish her the very best for the future."

At a press conference at the State House on Sept. 3, Weld and Lt. Gov. Paul Cellucci praised Marshall's ability and experience. If she is approved by the Governor's Council -- the eight-member body that advises and consents on judicial appointments -- she will replace Associate Justice Herbert P. Wilkins, who was recently named chief justice.

"Above all, Margaret Marshall's passion for justice has earned her this nomination to the Supreme Judicial Court, and it is my hope that the rest of the court will steer by her wake," Weld said. "When Margaret assumes the bench, she will become the guardian of a tradition to which she has devoted much of her adult life."

Marshall's background was a key factor in Weld's decision. Marshall, 52, received her B.A. from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1966. As president of the National Union of South African Students from 1966 to 1968, she led anti-apartheid activities and protests amid threatening government opposition. It was a significant turning point in her life.

With a full scholarship, Marshall first came to Harvard in 1968 and received a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1969. She went on to receive her J.D. degree from Yale Law School in 1976, and became a United States citizen in 1978.

At the governor's press conference, Marshall talked about her immigration to the United States -- leaving her country and everyone she knew to come to a place where she would be able to be safe and further her education. She said her "love for the U.S. grew as I came to understand the laws that make this wonderful democracy work.

"My real passions and concerns have been how people are treated in the judicial system and their representation by competent counsel," she said. "I feel a deep sense of honor, and I only hope that in the years ahead I will do justice to the nomination."

Weld affirmed that Marshall's experience as an anti-apartheid leader in South Africa had given her "a heightened appreciation for what the justice system can mean to a society. She is a lawyer's lawyer."

Marshall joined the Boston law firm of Csaplar & Bok upon graduation from law school and assisted in building its litigation division. In 1989, she joined the Boston firm Choate, Hall & Stewart, specializing in intellectual property matters. A past president of the Boston Bar Association (1991-92), and past Massachusetts state chair of the American Bar Association, Marshall has been a leader of the bar throughout her career. She became Vice President and General Counsel of Harvard in 1992.

"Serving Harvard and working with so many extraordinary colleagues has been a wonderful opportunity and a real education for me," Marshall said. "Harvard, its commitment to excellence, and the values that it embodies will always be part of me."

Marshall oversees all legal affairs for the University, including 11 full-time attorneys, as well as the University Police Department. She will remain in her present position pending the confirmation of her nomination to the SJC.

Rudenstine said that, as the confirmation process gets under way, a search will begin immediately to identify possible candidates to succeed Marshall.