NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW MAGAZINE

US District Court Judge Janet Bond Arterton ’77 will retire from the District of Connecticut bench in October. A role model and co-op employer for many in the Northeastern Law community, Arterton was appointed to the judiciary by President Bill Clinton in 1995. During her tenure, Arterton has presided over thousands of cases, leaving a lasting impact on the Connecticut legal landscape. Some of her many high-profile cases include the 2003 corruption trial of Bridgeport Mayor Joseph P. Ganim; the 2006 affirmative action lawsuit brought by NewHaven firefighters,which reached the US Supreme Court; and the 2014 corruption trial of former Connecticut Governor John G. Rowland. She also presided over the district’s only death penalty trials. Among many honors, she was awarded the Connecticut Bar Association’s Henry J. Naruk Judiciary Award for contributions to the administration of justice, and in 2015, Connecticut’s intellectual property bar established the Judge Janet Bond Arterton Intellectual Property American Inn of Court in her honor.

“During my many years as dean and faculty member at the University of Connecticut, I encountered nothing but admiration and respect for Judge Arterton from lawyers in all corners of the state and on both sides of the political aisle. Known for her perspicacity, tenacity and ability to manage a courtroom, Judge Arterton deftly presided over some of the most challenging cases while also putting her shoulder to the wheel to assist defendants struggling with drug or alcohol issues. Northeastern has every reason to be proud of our distinguished graduate and to wish her an exciting and joyous retirement,” said Professor Jeremy Paul, who served as dean of the University of Connecticut School of Law prior to serving as dean of Northeastern Law from 2012 until 2018.

In June, the Honorable Donald Cabell ’91 was appointed chief magistrate judge for the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts for a three-year term. Cabell joined the bench in 2015 and was reappointed in January 2023. Prior to joining the court, he served as the justice attaché in the Office of International Affairs at the US Embassy in Paris, France.

Talesha Saint-Marc ’09 made history in June as the first Black person to serve on the federal bench in New Hampshire. She was appointed to fill the second (recently created) full-time US magistrate judge position in the District of New Hampshire. A lifelong resident of the Granite State, Saint-Marc previously served as a shareholder with Bernstein Shur. “[Saint-Marc] is a tremendously talented and successful lawyer, and she has an unwavering commitment to public service. Her intellect, empathy and experience, when combined with her measured and calm demeanor, will make her an outstanding judge,” said Chief Judge Landya McCafferty ’91.

Rev. Willie Bodrick II ’20, senior pastor of the Twelfth Baptist Church and president and CEO of The American City Coalition, has been appointed by Governor Maura Healey ’98 to serve on the new, 30-member Advisory Council for Black Empowerment, which will advise the governor and lieutenant governor on issues related to the economic prosperity and wellbeing of Massachusetts’ Black community, including education, healthcare, housing and workforce development.

Diane Chin ’89, a pioneering public interest leader at Stanford University Law School who helped launch its Levin Center and co-founded its Racial Justice Center, is retiring this summer after serving as associate dean for public service and public interest law and lecturer in law. Chin launched her career as Skadden Fellow with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and plans to spend time with family, write, garden, hike, finally learn Spanish and volunteer with local nonprofits and upcoming critical political campaigns in retirement.

In May, Californian Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Leanne Mayberry ’01 to the El Dorado County (Lake Tahoe) Superior Court bench. Mayberry had previously served as a court research attorney with the El Dorado County Superior Court in South Lake Tahoe since 2012. Prior to that, she served as a deputy county counsel in Nevada County.

Kudos to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Excellence in the Law Honorees Congratulations to our cadre of top lawyers honored in May at Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s annual Excellence in the Law event.

Dr. John Naranja ’14 (left) and Janelle Tanenbaum ’17

UP & COMING LAWYERS
Dr. John Naranja ’14,
Diller Law

Janelle Tanenbaum ’17,
Seder Law

PRO BONO
Andrew DeVoogd ’07,
Mintz

De Voogd (left) also received the Boston Intellectual Property Association’s 2022 Pro Bono Award and was nominated by Chambers & Partners in the 2023 Chambers USA Awards for Diversity & Inclusion in the Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year category.

Hilary Franz ’97 has entered the 2024 Washington state governor’s race. She currently serves as the state commissioner of public lands. “Washington is facing urgent issues — from a rapidly changing climate to a housing crisis across the entire state, and soaring income inequality pushing families out of the middle class. There’s no shortage of challenges, but I know we can tackle them together. I’m running for governor to make bold progress and solve these issues, and to do so quickly,” Franz said in her announcement.

Tipper Takes Over as Denver City Attorney Kerry Tipper ’10 was recently appointed by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock to serve as the Denver city attorney; she previously served as deputy city attorney. Prior to her work in the City Attorney’s Office, Tipper was elected in 2018 to the Colorado House of Representatives, where she focused on consumer protection, fair representation, reproductive health and early childhood education, and served as treasurer for the Democratic Latino Caucus.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 earned the No. 1 spot on Boston magazine’s list of The 150 Most Influential Bostonians in 2023. Betty Francisco ’98, CEO of Boston Impact Initiative, came in at No. 53, and Rev. Willie Bodrick II ’20, president and CEO of The American City Coalition, is No. 103.

Kathy Henry ’00 (left) and Nancy Hathaway ’94

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 has reestablished the Judicial Nominating Commission to advise her on nominating and appointing judicial officers in coordination with the Governor’s Council. Appointees include Kathy Henry ’00, vice chair, and Nancy Hathaway ’94, member. Henry is executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Eastern Bank, and Hathaway is senior trial counsel for the Committee for Public Counsel Services.

Elyse Cherry ’83, CEO of BlueHub Capital since 1997, received the Boston Business Journal’s 2023 LGBT Trailblazer Award in May. Cherry is a member of the board of trustees of Wellesley College, the board of advisors of Eastern Bank, and chair of the board of the Forsyth Institute. She is also on the board of The Boston Foundation, where she co-chairs the Advisory Committee for The Equality Fund, which supports nonprofits that strengthen the LGBTQ community

April English ’00 (left) and Stesha Emmanuel ’11

April English ’00, chief secretary to Governor Maura Healey ’98, and Stesha Emmanuel ’11, a partner at McCarter & English in Boston, were honored by the Massachusetts Black Women Attorneys (MBWA) at its annual awards celebration in June. English received the Justice Geraldine S. Hines Public Service Award, which recognizes a Black woman attorney in the commonwealth who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to public service and dedication to advancing civil and human rights. Emmanuel was presented with the Ida B. Wells Award, in recognition of her contributions to the Massachusetts legal community.

Rahsaan Hall ’98 is the new president and chief executive of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. He previously served as an assistant district attorney with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office under then-DA Ralph Martin ’78, as well as in subsequent positions with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and Lawyers for Civil Rights. Most recently, Hall ran for Plymouth County district attorney.

Kaila Clark ’20

Kaila Clark ’20 and Amanda Hainsworth ’12 have been selected by the National LGBTQ+ Bar for its 40 Under 40 honor roll of attorneys who have distinguished themselves in their field and have demonstrated a profound commitment to LGBTQ+ equality. An associate at ArentFox Schiff, Clark serves as co-chair of the firm’s LGBTQ+ inclusion group, OutFox. Hainsworth serves as senior legal advisor to Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell.

Tiffany Williams Brewer ’99 was selected as the Professional Lawyer of the Year by the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Commission on Professionalism and the Association of Black Women Lawyers of New Jersey. Brewer is chair of the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation, serves on the faculty of Howard University School of Law and consults on empowering women leaders.

In March, Shaku Bhaya ’85, a partner with Doroshow, Pasqule, Krawitz & Bhaya, received the Honorable Aida Waserstein Award at the Delaware State Bar Association (DSBA) Women and the Law Retreat. The award is presented to a member of the bar who has significantly contributed to the Women and the Law Section and has achieved professional excellence in her field or has demonstrated leadership and advancement of women or women’s issues. She previously served as the Delaware Trial Lawyers Association president in 2009–2010 and was the recipient of the DSBA’s Distinguished Mentoring Award in 2011.

At its annual testimonial dinner in May, the National Lawyers Guild (NLG) honored Makis Antzoulatos ’09 (left), a staff attorney with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, and Josh Raisler Cohn ’10 (center), a public defender at the Roxbury Defenders Unit, with Lawyer Awards and Ruchi Ramamurthy ’23 (right) with a Student Award.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 has appointed Staci Rubin ’10 as a commissioner on the Commonwealth Utilities Commission, which oversees the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities (DPU), which, in turn, oversees electric and gas utilities, energy siting and public safety. “For many years, I’ve advocated for a more inclusive, transparent DPU that considers climate justice …. Together, we will work to ensure that environmental justice populations have seats at the table in shaping our clean energy future,” said Rubin, previously vice president of environmental justice at the Conservation Law Foundation.

Raquel Webster ’03 (left) and Desiree Murphy ’13 (right) were among those honored as in-house leaders at an event hosted by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly in March. Webster is senior commercial litigation counsel with National Grid, and Murphy is senior legal counsel, labor and employment, for CVS Health. In June, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey ’98 appointed Webster to a new Advisory Council for the Advancement of Representation in Education, which will work with the administration to ensure the commonwealth will always be open, welcoming and inclusive of students of color and other students typically underrepresented in higher education.

The Massachusetts Bar Association (MBA) honored nine attorneys and one law firm during the 2023 Access to Justice Awards Celebration in June. Alissa Weinberger ’20 (left), staff attorney-immigration with MetroWest Legal Services, received the Rising Star Award, and Carolyn I. McGowan ’97 (center), supervising senior trial counsel with the Committee for Public Counsel Services, received the Defender Award. Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka ’80 (right) delivered the keynote address.

Wu Appoints Feaster Chair of Reparations Task Force Joseph Feaster ’75, counsel at Dain Torpy, former president of the Boston branch of the NAACP and current member of the city’s Black Men & Boys Commission, has been appointed chair of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s new Task Force on Reparations. (See related article)

Marielena Hincapié ’96, a leading voice in the national conversation on immigration, has been appointed a distinguished visiting scholar with Cornell Law’s Immigration Law and Policy Research Program. Until she stepped down in 2022, Hincapié served as the executive director of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC) and the NILC Immigrant Justice Fund.

In July, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced the appointment of Spencer Thibodeau ’13 as deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs. Thibodeau previously served at the DOE as regional intergovernmental and external affairs specialist for the Northeast. Prior to that, he practiced with Verrill Dana in Portland, Maine, for eight years. In addition to his legal practice, he served for nearly six years on the Portland City Council, where he chaired the Housing and Economic Development (2021) and Sustainability and Transportation (2017 to 2020) committees. In 2020, Thibodeau was selected as the Maine senior advisor to the Biden-Harris campaign and also served as a member of Maine Governor Janet Mills’ transition team in 2019.

Taramattie Doucette ’88 (left), senior attorney and project director of the Children’s Disability Project at Greater Boston Legal Services, will receive the Women’s Bar Association’s coveted Lelia B. Robinson Award at the organization’s annual gala in October. Doucette has dedicated her career to advancing the rights of people with disabilities, with a focus on children with disabilities. In 2002, Doucette recognized the need for safe and reliable transportation for residents living with disabilities and served as lead counsel in a class action against the MBTA brought under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This case changed how the MBTA operated and pressed the system to accommodate those with disabilities. Massachusetts State Rep. Tram Nguyen ’13 (center), who represents the 18th Essex district, and Avanna Epperson-Temple ’15 (right), a trial attorney with Peabody & Arnold, will be honored by the WBA as Emerging Women Leaders in the Law.