Massachusetts attorneys could lose their separate, faster entrances to state courthouses under a proposal to require lawyers to pass through public security screening, including metal detectors and conveyor belts for personal belongings. The Massachusetts Trial Court is accepting public comments on the plan through Oct. 14. If adopted, the new screening would begin Jan. 1, 2027, at dozens of courthouses. The Massachusetts Association of Private Appointed Counsel opposes the proposal and says it needs more information about the security rationale and who would be screened. The Trial Court says the requirement would apply to all attorneys, but not court personnel. Sean Delaney, a criminal defense attorney and the association’s president, said screening lawyers could disrupt daily court schedules. He said he would support improved security measures if they applied to everyone entering court buildings, and hopes to meet with Trial Court officials who developed the proposal. The Trial Court says the proposed change is a preventative measure intended to keep courthouses safe, secure and accessible. It also cites the state ban on firearms in courthouses. The National Center for State Courts recommends professional screening for everyone entering courthouses, from judges to defendants, to prevent guns from getting inside. The organization says, however, that comprehensive data on how expanded screening affects courthouse safety is not available. The attorneys’ association says hundreds of lawyers are submitting comments against the plan. It argues that attorneys are already subject to character and fitness reviews, professional ethics rules and disciplinary oversight. The group has also questioned why the proposal appears to distinguish lawyers from court staff and other courthouse workers. The dispute puts a practical concern—whether added checks will slow court proceedings—alongside the broader question of how to protect courthouse visitors and workers. Delaney said the association wants the Trial Court to explain the need for a policy directed at attorneys, rather than a screening system that covers everyone entering the buildings.