Law School alumna Claire Cronin JD’85, the first woman to serve as the majority leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. She was nominated by President Biden this summer.
"I am deeply honored to be nominated by President Biden for ambassador to Ireland, especially given the president's and my own Irish roots," she told RTÉ News, Ireland’s largest news broadcaster in June.
Representative Richard Neal, chair of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, told RTÉ that Cronin is a historic figure, “the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Massachusetts legislature, and once confirmed by the Senate, [she] will play a significant role in helping to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Ireland.”
First elected to the legislature from the 11th Plymouth District in 2012, Cronin rose to become chair of the judiciary committee and then majority leader. In a statement, the White House praised her work as “the architect of significant pieces of legislation, including major criminal justice reform and police reform.”
She actively supported President Biden during the presidential primaries in 2020, officially casting the state’s 11 electoral votes for him during the Democratic National Convention, in an appearance broadcast to millions of people around the world.
Cronin, who graduated from Suffolk Law in 1985, says she “thoroughly enjoyed” law school, where she served in the Suffolk Defenders clinic: “I received a top-notch legal education, and today many of my friends and colleagues are Suffolk Law alumni. We share a unique bond and love of Suffolk Law.”
Prior to serving in the legislature, Cronin ran her own law practice in Brockton. She has also been affiliated with Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation, a private dispute resolution firm, where she arbitrated and mediated cases involving a wide range of issues, including the landmark settlement of the Massachusetts clergy sexual abuse cases.
“Suffolk Law alumni often become leaders in government, both in Massachusetts and nationally,” said Suffolk Law Dean Andrew Perlman. “Ambassador Cronin is a model for the next generation of Suffolk Law graduates who aspire to make a difference in their communities and beyond.”
Images courtesy of the Office of Representative Claire Cronin
By Michael Fisch
LAW BRIEFS
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Law School alumna Claire Cronin JD’85, the first woman to serve as the majority leader of the Massachusetts House of Representatives, has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. She was nominated by President Biden this summer.
“I am deeply honored to be nominated by President Biden for ambassador to Ireland, especially given the president’s and my own Irish roots,” she told RTÉ News (Ireland’s largest news broadcaster) in June 2021.
Representative Richard Neal, chair of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, told RTÉ that Cronin is a historic figure, “the first woman to serve as majority leader in the Massachusetts legislature, and once confirmed by the Senate, [she] will play a significant role in helping to strengthen the bonds between the United States and Ireland.”
First elected to the legislature from the 11th Plymouth District in 2012, Cronin rose to become chair of the judiciary committee and then majority leader. In a statement, the White House praised her work as “the architect of significant pieces of legislation, including major criminal justice reform and police reform.”
She actively supported President Biden during the presidential primaries in 2020, officially casting the state’s 11 electoral votes for him during the Democratic National Convention, in an appearance broadcast to millions of people around the world.
Cronin, who graduated from Suffolk Law in 1985, says she “thoroughly enjoyed” law school, where she served in the Suffolk Defenders clinic: “I received a top-notch legal education, and today many of my friends and colleagues are Suffolk Law alumni. We share a unique bond and love of Suffolk Law.”
Prior to serving in the legislature, Cronin ran her own law practice in Brockton. She has also been affiliated with Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation, a private dispute resolution firm, where she arbitrated and mediated cases involving a wide range of issues, including the landmark settlement of the Massachusetts clergy sexual abuse cases.
“Suffolk Law alumni often become leaders in government, both in Massachusetts and nationally,” said Suffolk Law Dean Andrew Perlman. “Ambassador Cronin is a model for the next generation of Suffolk Law graduates who aspire to make a difference in their communities and beyond.”
Images courtesy of the Office of Representative Claire Cronin
By Michael Fisch
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U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin
U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin