Rachael Rollins Sworn in as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts

Rachael Splaine Rollins was sworn in today as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV administered the oath of office in federal court in Boston during a private ceremony. A formal investiture will be planned for a later date.

U.S. Attorney Rollins was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden on July 26, 2021 and was confirmed by the United States Senate on Dec. 8, 2021 in a tie-breaking vote cast in favor by Vice President Kamala Harris.

“Today’s swearing was a proud and humbling moment for both myself and my family. It was particularly special for me to have my parents with me, on my father’s 74th birthday. Their support has been unwavering, and I owe so much of this moment to them. As I reflect upon the path that led me here, I cannot help but think about the many colleagues and mentors who have supported me along the way. I want to acknowledge my friends, colleagues and law enforcement partners at the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office whose steadfast commitment and dedication to keeping our neighborhoods healthy and safe has truly made a difference in the lives of so many. I am enormously proud of what we accomplished together,” said U.S. Attorney Rollins.

“As I begin this next chapter as the United States Attorney, I look forward to the challenges ahead. There is much to be done and I am blessed to be walking into an office with highly skilled attorneys and staff who have the same commitment to public safety and community wellbeing and health.”

U.S. Attorney Rollins, 50, of Boston, is now the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Massachusetts, which is comprised of 14 counties. With over 20 years of legal experience, U.S. Attorney Rollins will lead a team of more than 250 federal prosecutors and staff with three offices located in Boston, Worcester and Springfield.

U.S. Attorney Rollins has been the Suffolk County District Attorney (DA) for the last three years. In 2019, the people of Suffolk County elected her as the first woman to serve as their DA and the first woman of color to serve as DA in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Rollins is now the first Black woman to ever serve as U.S. Attorney in the District of Massachusetts, one of the two first U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the nation, established in 1789.

U.S. Attorney Rollins previously served as Chief Legal Counsel to the Massachusetts Port Authority. Prior to that she served as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. From 2007 to 2011, she was an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts serving in both the Civil and Criminal Divisions.

Earlier in her career, U.S. Attorney Rollins was an attorney at Bingham McCutchen LLP and from 1999 to 2002 she was a field attorney for the National Labor Relations Board. U.S. Attorney Rollins began her legal career as a clerk for Associate Judge Frederick L. Brown of the Massachusetts Appeals Court.

U.S. Attorney Rollins earned a Juris Doctor from Northeastern University School of Law and a Masters in Law from Georgetown University Law Center. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education and African-American Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.