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winter 2025
features
Gustavo Gelpí, JD ’91, HLLD ’06, joined the federal bench as a U.S. magistrate judge for Puerto Rico in 2001 before President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico in 2006. Gelpí was chief judge there from 2018 to 2021, when President Joe Biden appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the first Suffolk Law J.D. appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. He teaches federal criminal practice at Suffolk Law.
As a student, you worked with Professor Stephen Callahan (now retired) on tenants’ rights at a clinic in Chelsea. What did you learn?
I’m bilingual, and Professor Callahan recruited me because it was important to be able to communicate with clients. It was mostly immigrants who lived there. My first client wasn’t paying her rent. She was spending all her welfare money on an automobile. I said, “Hey, Professor Callahan, she’s wrong. I would evict her myself.” And I remember him telling me, “Well, that may be true, but you’re there to represent her. The landlord’s attorney is there to represent the landlord. You have your client, and your client deserves that representation.” That was an important lesson.
Professor Joseph Glannon continues to be a mentor for you. Tell me about that.
He was my civil procedure professor. He had that extra knack. He would always come in with a smile to class. I talk to law students nowadays, and he’s still the same. Whenever I litigated issues involving jurisdiction, I would send him my briefs or my motions. When I became a judge, anytime I issued anything having to do with jurisdiction or civil procedure, I would send him the opinion. During the COVID pandemic, when I got confirmed, few people could come to my swearing in, but he and Dean [Andrew] Perlman were there, and I would not have wanted it any other way.
Which cases have been particularly memorable for you as a judge?
I did have one case, which lasted over 10 years, when I was a district court judge, that had an importance that transcended just the mere case. It involved the United States Department of Justice and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has the second-largest police force in the nation after New York City. The police were engaged in a pattern and practice of unconstitutional searches and seizures. So the U.S. sued Puerto Rico, and the parties entered into a consent decree, which I approved. I had to appoint a court monitor and team. And I thought, “Well, I’ll meet twice a year with the party, see what’s going on.” That case took probably about a third of my weekly time in court. I ended up visiting police headquarters. I did ride-alongs. I went to the police academy. The number of constitutional violations and illegal searches and seizures has gone down. You don’t read about it in the press like you used to 20 years ago. There is police training now. There’s a curriculum taught by professionals. Regarding promotions, now every position is by exam. Everybody has an opportunity. Now you’re seeing more women serving as colonels and in other high positions.
How can we change the polarization we’re seeing in the country?
We, as judges, participate in a lot of civics education. We meet with high school students. They come to court, they ask us questions. We say, “You’ve seen attorneys arguing here. They’re not killing each other. They’re not fighting. Each thinks he or she is right. But that’s how you do it—with civil discourse.”
What advice would you give to a law student who hopes to be a judge someday?
Number one, you have to be careful about social media. Then, from an attorney perspective, it’s important in law school to take courses in different areas. When you start practicing, you’re always going to seek advice. Find good mentors, find good friends, good partners who help you. And whatever you do, be good at it. Be honest. Have a good reputation.
Photograph courtesy of Judge Gustavo Gelpí
By Robert Schlesinger
Return to Table of Contents
winter 2025
features
Gustavo Gelpí, JD ’91, HLLD ’06, joined the federal bench as a U.S. magistrate judge for Puerto Rico in 2001 before President George W. Bush appointed him U.S. District Judge for the District of Puerto Rico in 2006. Gelpí was chief judge there from 2018 to 2021, when President Joe Biden appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the first Suffolk Law J.D. appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals. He teaches federal criminal practice at Suffolk Law.
As a student, you worked with Professor Stephen Callahan (now retired) on tenants’ rights at a clinic in Chelsea. What did you learn?
I’m bilingual, and Professor Callahan recruited me because it was important to be able to communicate with clients. It was mostly immigrants who lived there. My first client wasn’t paying her rent. She was spending all her welfare money on an automobile. I said, “Hey, Professor Callahan, she’s wrong. I would evict her myself.” And I remember him telling me, “Well, that may be true, but you’re there to represent her. The landlord’s attorney is there to represent the landlord. You have your client, and your client deserves that representation.” That was an important lesson.
Professor Joseph Glannon continues to be a mentor for you. Tell me about that.
He was my civil procedure professor. He had that extra knack. He would always come in with a smile to class. I talk to law students nowadays, and he’s still the same. Whenever I litigated issues involving jurisdiction, I would send him my briefs or my motions. When I became a judge, anytime I issued anything having to do with jurisdiction or civil procedure, I would send him the opinion. During the COVID pandemic, when I got confirmed, few people could come to my swearing in, but he and Dean [Andrew] Perlman were there, and I would not have wanted it any other way.
Which cases have been particularly memorable for you as a judge?
I did have one case, which lasted over 10 years, when I was a district court judge, that had an importance that transcended just the mere case. It involved the United States Department of Justice and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico has the second-largest police force in the nation after New York City. The police were engaged in a pattern and practice of unconstitutional searches and seizures. So the U.S. sued Puerto Rico, and the parties entered into a consent decree, which I approved. I had to appoint a court monitor and team. And I thought, “Well, I’ll meet twice a year with the party, see what’s going on.” That case took probably about a third of my weekly time in court. I ended up visiting police headquarters. I did ride-alongs. I went to the police academy. The number of constitutional violations and illegal searches and seizures has gone down. You don’t read about it in the press like you used to 20 years ago. There is police training now. There’s a curriculum taught by professionals. Regarding promotions, now every position is by exam. Everybody has an opportunity. Now you’re seeing more women serving as colonels and in other high positions.
How can we change the polarization we’re seeing in the country?
We, as judges, participate in a lot of civics education. We meet with high school students. They come to court, they ask us questions. We say, “You’ve seen attorneys arguing here. They’re not killing each other. They’re not fighting. Each thinks he or she is right. But that’s how you do it—with civil discourse.”
What advice would you give to a law student who hopes to be a judge someday?
Number one, you have to be careful about social media. Then, from an attorney perspective, it’s important in law school to take courses in different areas. When you start practicing, you’re always going to seek advice. Find good mentors, find good friends, good partners who help you. And whatever you do, be good at it. Be honest. Have a good reputation.
Photograph courtesy of Judge Gustavo Gelpí
By Alyssa Giaccobe