Associate Justice Kimberly Budd is Governor Charlie Baker's nominee to become chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
If confirmed by the Governor's Council, she will be the first Black woman to lead the court.
At 54, Budd would also be the youngest chief justice in about 150 years.
According to the SJC Justice Budd earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Georgetown University, and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She began her legal career as a law clerk to Chief Justice Joseph P. Warner of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Justice Budd was a litigation associate at Mintz Levin, before serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts in the Major Crimes and Drug Units. After that, she was a University Attorney for Harvard University in the General Counsel’s Office. Justice Budd later served as Director of the Community Values program at Harvard Business School.
Previous chief justice Ralph Gants died last month.
(Photo Credit- Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court)