Ralph Gants

Ralph D. Gants (born 1954) is the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He was sworn in on July 28, 2014.[1] Gants, a New York native, is a former Assistant United States Attorney and has served as a Massachusetts judge since 1997.

Ralph Gants
Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Assumed office
July 28, 2014
Appointed byDeval Patrick
Preceded byRoderick L. Ireland
Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
In office
January 29, 2009 – July 28, 2014
Appointed byDeval Patrick
Preceded byJohn Greaney
Succeeded byGeraldine Hines
Personal details
Born1954 (age 65–66)
New Rochelle, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationHarvard University (BA, JD)
University of Cambridge

Early life and career

Gants was born in New Rochelle, New York in 1954. He received his Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude from Harvard College in 1976, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. The following year he completed a Diploma in Criminology at Cambridge University in England. In 1980, he earned a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Harvard Law School where he was notes editor of the Harvard Law Review. After graduation from law school, he served as law clerk to United States District Court Judge Eugene H. Nickerson. From 1981 to 1983, he was Special Assistant to Judge William H. Webster, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1983, he was appointed Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, serving as Chief of Public Corruption Division from 1988 to 1991. In 1991, he joined the Boston law firm of Palmer & Dodge LLP, becoming a partner in 1994. He has taught at Harvard Law School, New England School of Law, and Northeastern University School of Law.[2]

Judicial career

He was appointed as a Judge of the Massachusetts Superior Court in 1997 by Governor William Weld. In 2008, he served as Administrative Justice of the Superior Court's Business Litigation Session. Governor Deval Patrick appointed Justice Gants to the Supreme Judicial Court in December 2008 and he took office in January 2009[2] after being confirmed by the Governor's Council.[2][3] On April 17, 2014, he was nominated by Governor Patrick to replace Roderick L. Ireland as Chief Justice after his retirement; he was confirmed by the Governor's Council and was sworn in on July 28, 2014.

Personal

Justice Gants is married with two children.[2]

References
  1. "Honorable Ralph D. Gants of the Supreme Judicial Court Administered Oath of Office". Public Information Office, Supreme Judicial Court, Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2014-07-28. Archived from the original on July 28, 2014. Retrieved 2014-07-28.
  2. "Calif. Democrats express optimism, poised for 2012". Archived from the original on June 5, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-11.
  3. http://news.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid%3D1135988%26srvc%3Dnext_article. Retrieved August 12, 2011. Missing or empty |title= (help)
Legal offices
Preceded by
John Greaney		 Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
2009–2014		 Succeeded by
Geraldine Hines
Preceded by
Roderick L. Ireland		 Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
2014–present		 Incumbent
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