law briefs
Return to Table of Contents
winter 2025
Above, from left: Professor Emerita Karen Blum, JD ’74; Dean Andrew Perlman; Judge Gustavo Gelpí, JD ’91, HLLD ’06; Judge Mary McElroy, JD ’92; Judge Richard Leon, JD ’74; Judge Marianne B. Bowler, JD ’76, HLLD ’94; and Judge Joan N. Feeney, JD ’78, HLLD ’06. Photograph by Michael J. Clarke
When five federal judges gathered at Suffolk Law this fall, their collective stories revealed a striking truth: There’s no single route to the federal bench, but there is a common thread in their success.
From Mary McElroy, JD ’92, a career public defender who became a U.S. district judge, to Marianne Bowler, JD ’76, HLLD ’94, Suffolk Law’s first woman graduate to receive a federal appointment, their paths to the judiciary proved as diverse as the cases they handle.
Senior Judge Richard Leon, JD ’74, navigates cases of national impact on the D.C. federal bench, where his decisions on matters like the AT&T-Time Warner merger have reverberated through corporate boardrooms and congressional halls.
Judge Joan N. Feeney, JD ’78, HLLD ’06, spent more than 26 years applying her deep technical expertise to complex bankruptcy matters in Massachusetts. And in a candid fireside chat with his former professor Joseph Glannon, Judge Gustavo Gelpí, JD ’91, HLLD ’06, the first Suffolk Law JD ever appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals, described his transition from district court to the First Circuit—a move that demands more scholarly analysis and coalition-building among fellow judges.
Yet despite their varied journeys—whether it was public defense or private practice, specialized courts or those with general jurisdiction—these jurists got their start in the law in the same way. “The [Suffolk Law] faculty was tremendous in their support,” noted Judge Bowler, a federal magistrate judge who has presided over high-profile matters including the James “Whitey” Bulger and Boston Marathon bomber trials.
Speaking with current students, the judges emphasized how Suffolk Law’s practical training and supportive community prepared them for the bench—whether they’re ruling on NSA data collection practices, constitutional policing reform, releasing Guantanamo Bay detainees, or reorganizing major hotel chains. Their message was clear: While the paths to the federal judiciary may vary, their legal journeys shared a common foundation.
