professionalIMG

Susan M. Finegan

Member
617.348.3005
vCard
Boston


Education

  • Boston College (JD, 1991)
  • Dartmouth College (BA, 1985)

Appointed as the firm’s first Pro Bono Partner in 2007, Sue focuses on managing the firm’s pro bono efforts, consisting of 400 varied cases throughout Mintz Levin’s eight offices, and representing numerous pro bono clients on a variety of legal issues. Sue is a Member in the firm’s Litigation Section, and serves as Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and Chair of the Boston office’s Hiring Committee.

Over the past two decades, Sue’s pro bono experience has primarily focused on sexual assault and domestic violence. In addition to representing hundreds of individual victims, she led a team of Mintz Levin pro bono lawyers who successfully worked for several years to pass Massachusetts legislation that allows sexual assault, stalking, and harassment victims to obtain criminally enforceable protective orders, filling a gap in the existing statute. For these legislative efforts specifically, and the firm's signature Domestic Violence Project generally, the American Bar Association awarded the firm its 2010 Pro Bono Publico Award. Sue also has filed appellate and amicus briefs on issues relating to sexual assault and domestic violence in the US Supreme Court and Massachusetts appellate courts and advises numerous domestic violence-related nonprofits on a variety of legal issues.

From 2004 to 2007, Sue served as legal director of the Victim Rights Law Center, overseeing civil legal services to sexual assault survivors in Massachusetts, and providing training to federally funded legal services programs nationwide. She also served as the Center’s interim executive director in 2005.

While previously at Mintz Levin from 1993-2004, as an Associate and then a Member, Sue handled complex commercial, white collar, defamation, land use, and insurance defense matters for several high-profile clients in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. She also performed extensive pro bono work, including the management of the firm’s Domestic Violence Project and the Lawyers’ Clearinghouse Legal Clinics at various Boston homeless shelters.

During law school, she served as editor-in-chief of the Boston College Third World Law Journal. Following law school, Sue was a law clerk for the Honorable Andrew A. Caffrey at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and for the Honorable Francis P. O’Connor at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

 

Recognitions & Awards

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Legal Aid/Legal Services (2012)
  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly/Massachusetts Bar Association Excellence in Pro Bono Award (2012)
  • Dartmouth College Alumni Award (2011).  Awarded to those who have demonstrated extraordinary service to Dartmouth and civic organizations in addition to career accomplishment
  • Boston College Law School Curtin Center for Public Interest Pro Bono Service Award (2011)
  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Women of Justice Award (2009)
  • Boston Business Journal: “40 Under 40” business leaders (2003)
  • Mintz Levin Special Recognition Award for Distinguished Service and Significant Contributions to the Pro Bono Program (2003)
  • Mintz Levin Pro Bono Award (1998)
  • Dartmouth College Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award (1996)
  • St. Thomas More Award, Boston College Law School (1991)

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Chair, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee on Pro Bono Legal Services. Appointed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
  • Member, Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission. Appointed by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
  • Member, Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct. Appointed by the Administrative Office of the Trial Court as one of three attorney representatives on the agency that is responsible for investigating complaints of judicial misconduct against state court judges
  • Member, Boston Bar Association Council
  • Member, Boston Bar Association's Task Force on Expanding the Civil Right to Counsel
  • Member, Massachusetts Trial Court’s Gender Equality Advisory Board. Appointed by the Administrative Office of the Trial Court
  • Member, Board of Visitors, Nelson R. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth College
  • Former member, Massachusetts Judicial Nominating Commission. Appointed by Governor Patrick in 2010 to the 21-member body established to identify and screen candidates for all of the appellate and trial courts in Massachusetts (2010 – 2012)
  • Former co-chair, Boston Bar Association Delivery of Legal Services Section (2009 – 2011)
  • Former chair, Dartmouth College Committee on Trustees (2004 – 2011)
  • Former member, Board of Directors, Women’s Bar Foundation (2007 – 2010)
  • Former member, BCCJ LeadBoston Program (2002 – 2003)