Allston and Brighton

The Brighton and Allston neighborhoods in northwest Boston are home to a combined roughly 70,000 residents. The neighborhoods are bordered by the Charles River and split by the Massachusetts Turnpike, and have a relatively young residential community because multiple universities and colleges are in the vicinity, including Harvard Business School, Boston University, Boston College, and Berklee College of Music. In addition to college and graduate students and young working professionals, Brighton and Allston’s diversity comes from its substantial immigrant population. Brighton is accessible by the MBTA’s Green Line.

Both Brighton and Allston are part of Suffolk County. While the main Suffolk County courthouses are located downtown in Boston, Brighton has its own division of the Boston Municipal Court, located at 52 Academy Hill Rd. The Brighton Division of the Boston Municipal Court handles a wide variety of district court matters arising in Brighton and Allston. The district court is authorized to handle misdemeanor criminal cases that do not require state prison time, and felony criminal cases where the punishment cannot exceed a five-year sentence. The district court also hears civil cases where the amount of money at issue is less than $25,000 and small claims matters where the claim is for less than $7,000. Finally, this court also hears eviction matters, cases related to mental health issues, and issues abuse prevention and harassment prevention orders.

For over fifty years, the Allston criminal defense attorneys at Zalkind, Duncan & Bernstein have helped, advised, and represented clients in Brighton and Allston during all phases of criminal matters. Whether you have been arrested in Brighton or Alston or are involved in an investigation, called to a grand jury trial, or hoping to vacate a guilty plea, you can rely on our team of attorneys to use their expertise, intellect, and creativity to protect your individual legal rights while fighting for your best interests. Our experienced criminal defense lawyers have successfully represented clients in many of this city’s courts. The criminal areas that our Brighton criminal lawyers practice include, but are not limited to: drug crimes, computer and internet crimes, drunk driving, gun crimes,sex crimes, violent crimes, white-collar crimes and fraud, foreign extradition, clerk-magistrate’s hearings, restraining orders, sealing and expungement, criminal appeals.

Because of its proximity to many colleges and universities, Brighton and Allston are neighborhoods where many students live. Our firm has spent 40 years representing the students of Brighton and Allston in academic and disciplinary matters, making us recognized experts in the field of college discipline law. Our Allston Title IX lawyers routinely represent students in cases at schools near Brighton and Allston, including Boston College and Boston University. Our attorneys have more experience interacting with these local universities than nearly any other lawyer, and are well-versed in the policies and practices these schools employ in adjudicating discipline cases against their students.

If you have a criminal, civil, or academic case arising out of Brighton or Allston, please contact Zalkind Duncan & Bernstein LLP to speak with one of our experienced attorneys.

Our phones are answered during business hours Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Any messages left with our answering service during non-business hours as well as e-mails sent to our firm will receive prompt responses.