The Boston Bar Association will honor Chief Justice Lynda M. Connolly of the Massachusetts District Court and Chief Justice Steven D. Pierce of the Housing Court with citations of distinguished judicial excellence.

The two will be honored Tuesday night at the BBA’s law day dinner at the Westin in Boston’s Copley Place.

"Chief Justice Connolly and Chief Justice Pierce have distinguished themselves as leaders of their respective courts, dealing with the most immediate and pressing legal needs of our fellow citizens, but also as leaders in the effort to help the Trial Court Department determine how best to deliver justice when faced with a severe fiscal crisis," said BBA President Jack Regan.

Two years ago, Chief Justice Robert A. Mulligan, as the leader of the trial court, asked Connolly and Pierce to be the co-chairs of the trial court’s fiscal task force. Their assignment was to analyze court operations and make recommendations about how the seven departments of the trial court could make adjustments to live within the budget provided by the Legislature, while still providing access to justice.

Connolly and Pierce have been the driving forces behind a system-wide effort to reduce expenses and improve efficiency in response to the fiscal crisis, according to a statement.