Haiganush R. Bedrosian
Judge Haiganush R. Bedrosian was Chief Justice of the Rhode Island Family Court from 2010 until her retirement on January 8, 2016.[1] She is the first woman to be the chief judge of the court.
Personal
Judge Bedrosian is the daughter of Armenian immigrants. The name “Haiganush” in Armenian means “sweet woman.” She grew up in Cranston, Rhode Island. She graduated from Pembroke College (Brown University) and went to Suffolk University Law School in Boston, MA.
A widow, Judge Bedrosian has a stepson and daughter-in-law, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She also has "adopted" numerous children by taking in their family court cases.
Career
Thirty years ago Bedrosian became the first female judge in the family court. Bedrosian, as the senior associate justice of the Family court, became the acting chief judge in June 30, 2010. She served as a law clerk to late Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Paolino.
Previously, Judge Bedrosian was in private practice specializing in family law for several years after working as Assistant General Counsel to the Providence & Worcester Railroad Company. She also worked as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General in the Criminal Prosecution Unit in the early 1970s. Judge Bedrosian was instrumental in creating statewide standards for Guardian ad litem in Family Court cases.
Professional Associations
Bedrosian is a member of the Rhode Island Bar Association. She founded the Rhode Island Trial Judges Association and served as its president for several years.