Roderick L. Ireland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roderick L. Ireland
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Ireland in 2013
|
|
| Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office December 20, 2010 – July 25, 2014 |
|
| Appointed by | Deval Patrick |
| Preceded by | Margaret H. Marshall |
| Succeeded by | Ralph Gants |
| Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court | |
| In office 1997 – December 19, 2010 |
|
| Appointed by | Bill Weld |
| Succeeded by | Fernande R.V. Duffly |
| Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court | |
| In office 1990–1997 |
|
| Appointed by | Michael Dukakis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 3, 1944 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Lincoln University (BA) Columbia University (JD) Harvard University (LLM) Northeastern University (PhD) |
Roderick L. Ireland (born December 3, 1944) is a retired judge. He made history as the first African American to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. He was chosen for this important role by Governor Deval Patrick on November 4, 2010. Justice Ireland officially started on December 20, 2010, and retired from his position on July 25, 2014.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Roderick L. Ireland was born on December 3, 1944. His hometown is Springfield, Massachusetts. His mother, Helen Garner Ireland, was an elementary school teacher. His father, George Lovelace Ireland, worked as a house painter.
He grew up in the Old Hill neighborhood of Springfield. He went to public schools there. These included The William N. DeBerry Elementary School and Buckingham Junior High School. He also attended Classical High School.
Justice Ireland earned several degrees from different universities. He received his first degree, a Bachelor of Arts (BA), in 1966. This was from Lincoln University, which was the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to grant degrees. He then earned his Juris Doctor (JD) from Columbia Law School in 1969. Later, he received a Master of Laws (LLM) from Harvard Law School in 1975. Finally, he earned his PhD in Law, Policy and Society from Northeastern University in 1998.
Roxbury Defenders Committee
In 1971, Roderick Ireland helped create the Roxbury Defenders Committee. He started this group with Wallace Sherwood. The committee worked to provide legal help to people in the Roxbury area.
Judicial Career and Public Service
Roderick Ireland had a long and important career in law. In 1977, he became a judge for the Boston Juvenile Court. Later, in 1990, he was appointed to the Massachusetts Court of Appeals. Governor Michael Dukakis appointed him to both of these courts.
In 1997, Governor William Weld appointed him to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He became an Associate Justice on this court. He was the first African American to serve as an associate justice there. In 2010, he became the first African American Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He retired from the court in 2014. After his retirement, Associate Justice Ralph Gants took his place.
Justice Ireland has also taught at universities. He was a faculty member at Northeastern University School of Law. He also taught at Northeastern University's College of Criminal Justice. Today, he is a Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University. He teaches Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Personal Life
Roderick Ireland is married to Alice Alexander. They both have children from previous marriages. His children are Elizabeth and Michael. Alice's daughter is Melanee. Justice Ireland is a member of the Elliot Congregational Church. This church is located in Roxbury, Massachusetts.
Honors and Recognitions
Justice Ireland has received many honors for his work.
Street Renamed in His Honor
In 2015, his hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts honored him. The street where he grew up, Terrence Street, was renamed. It is now called Chief Justice Roderick L. Ireland Way.
Courthouse Renamed
In 2017, another important building was renamed for him. The Hampden County Hall of Justice is now known as the Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse.
Honorary Degrees
He has also received special honorary degrees. These degrees were given to him by Excelsior College and the University of Massachusetts Boston.
Books Written
Roderick Ireland is the author of a book about law. It is called Massachusetts Juvenile Law. This book is part of the Massachusetts Practice Series.
See Also
