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Susan M. Finegan

(she/her/hers)

Member

[email protected]

+1.617.348.3005

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Sue is a nationally recognized pro bono pioneer with a passion for helping underserved populations and exceptional litigation skills. As chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee, she leads groundbreaking cases and manages pro bono matters for the firm. She has helped to defeat President Trump’s first immigration travel ban in early 2017, engineer the passage of a Massachusetts restraining order law for sexual assault survivors, and create several innovative statewide model pro bono programs in Massachusetts.

Sue is a Member in the Litigation Section and is Chair of the Pro Bono Committee. Appointed the firm’s first Pro Bono Partner in 2007, Sue serves as lead counsel on numerous high profile pro bono litigation matters. She also manages the firm’s pro bono efforts, consisting of over 300 varied cases annually throughout all of the firm’s offices, and advises firm clients on developing and sustaining pro bono programs within their in-house legal departments.

Sue has been a tireless and innovative advocate for low-income people in Massachusetts and beyond. Through her former leadership on the Access to Justice Commission, she spearheaded creative funding mechanisms to support legal aid organizations and developed the statewide civil appellate pro bono program for self-represented litigants. Eleven years ago, she co-founded the Access to Justice Fellows program, in which over 200 retired and retiring lawyers have devoted over 200,000 pro bono hours at legal services organizations, nonprofits, and the courts. 

Sue is also an experienced nonprofit board member, currently serving on the Board of Trustees of Dartmouth College. For the past two years, she has served as one of the Board’s Vice Chairs and as the Chair of the Audit and Oversight Committee. 

From 2004 to 2007, Sue was legal director of the Victim Rights Law Center, overseeing free statewide civil legal services to sexual assault survivors and providing training to legal aid attorneys nationally. While previously at Mintz, from 1993 to 2004, as an associate and then a partner, Sue handled complex commercial, white collar, defamation, land use, and insurance defense matters in both state and federal trial and appellate courts. She also performed extensive pro bono work, including oversight of the firm’s Domestic Violence Project.

Following law school, Sue served as 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.

Sue is a nationally recognized pro bono pioneer with a passion for helping underserved populations and exceptional litigation skills. As chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee, she leads groundbreaking cases and manages pro bono matters for the firm. She has helped to defeat President Trump’s first immigration travel ban in early 2017, engineer the passage of a Massachusetts restraining order law for sexual assault survivors, and create several innovative statewide model pro bono programs in Massachusetts.

Experience

  • Served as lead counsel on several high impact immigration litigation matters with the ACLU of Massachusetts:
    • Achieved a groundbreaking victory for detained immigrants in a class action case, Pereira Brito v. Barr, that held that the government’s bond hearings were unconstitutional.  Previously, the detainee was required to bear the burden of proof in order to be released from detention.  After Brito, the government bears the burden to prove that the detainee was a flight risk or a danger to the community. This ruling had an immediate impact in Boston Immigration Court, and many class members were released from detention.
    • Challenged President Trump’s first immigration executive order “travel ban."
  • Co-counsel for the Boston branch of the NAACP and other advocacy organizations in support of a COVID-era Boston Public School Exam School Admissions policy that resulted in increased socioeconomic, geographic, and racial diversity at Boston’s three highly selective schools.  The policy was challenged in federal court by a group that alleged that it was unconstitutional. After a three-year court battle, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the policy did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution.  
  • Managed a team of Mintz Levin attorneys who advocated for the eventual passage of a new criminally enforceable restraining order law for sexual assault survivors in Massachusetts (G.L. c. 258E), filing a gap in the existing statute. For these efforts, the American Bar Association awarded the firm its Pro Bono Publico Award.
  • Oversaw several compelling political asylum cases, including one that is the subject of a Steven Spielberg documentary, Finding Oscar.
  • Successfully argued for a civil right to counsel for indigent parents in certain guardianship matters, favorably impacting hundreds of low income parents each year; Argued alongside L.B. v. Chief Justice of the Prob. & Family Ct. Dep’t, 49 N.E.3d 230 (Mass. 2016).Oversaw several compelling political asylum cases, including one that is the subject of a Steven Spielberg documentary, Finding Oscar.
  • Managed a team of Mintz Levin attorneys who advocated for the eventual passage of a new criminally enforceable restraining order law for sexual assault survivors in Massachusetts, filing a gap in the existing statute. For these efforts, the American Bar Association awarded the firm its Pro Bono Publico Award.
  • Successfully argued for a civil right to counsel for indigent parents in certain guardianship matters, favorably impacting hundreds of low income parents each year; Argued alongside L.B. v. Chief Justice of the Prob. & Family Ct. Dep’t, 49 N.E.3d 230 (Mass. 2016).

Specialize in representing of victims of crime and the nonprofits that serve them. 

  • Represent several families impacted by crime, including high profile domestic violence homicides and Boston Marathon bombing survivors.  
  • Represent hundreds of individual domestic violence and sexual assault survivors.
  • Advise domestic violence shelters and rape crisis centers on a variety of legal matters.
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viewpoints

Removing Barriers to Second Chances

January 24, 2022 | Article

Mintz initiated many pro bono projects to combat systemic racism after the murder of George Floyd, including organizing Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information sealing clinics with the Lawyers Clearinghouse and conducting research for a Boston-based nonprofit into how housing authorities around the country evaluate applicants with open criminal charges.
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Mintz’s pro bono work for The Food Project, a nonprofit focused on youth development and reducing food insecurity, has included advising the organization on governance, real estate, employment, privacy, and litigation matters.
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Mintz attorneys represented advocacy groups that intervened in federal litigation to support a temporary selection process for Boston’s exam schools for the 2021–2022 school year. A federal district court judge held the plan to be race-neutral, and Special Counsel Andy Nathanson helped counter the plaintiff’s motion to stop the plan’s implementation during the appeal process. Following revelations of new evidence, the district court judge reaffirmed his ruling.
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Christine Hughes speaks with Susan Finegan, Partner at Mintz on in-house counsel and pro bono work.
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We are currently serving as co-counsel with the ACLU of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, and others in a lawsuit against the president’s executive order curbing immigration by refugees and others traveling from seven majority Muslim countries.
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News & Press

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Pro Bono Committee Chair Susan Finegan was profiled by BC Law Magazine ahead of receiving the BBA Thurgood Marshall Award at the Annual BBA meeting in November. The magazine discusses Sue’s long and dedicated history of pro bono service. 

Press Release Thumbnail Mintz

Mintz Pro Bono Committee Chair and litigation member Susan Finegan will receive the Boston Bar Association’s (BBA) Thurgood Marshall Award at its annual meeting on November 14. The award “honors Boston attorneys in the private bar whose extraordinary work has enhanced the human dignity of others.”

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187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz recently filed an amicus brief urging the US Supreme Court to protect access to emergency care for pregnant women under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA) in the consolidated cases Idaho v. United States and Moyle v. United States that the Court will hear on April 24th.

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Mintz is pleased to announce Pro Bono Committee Chair Susan Finegan has been selected as a member on Law360’s 2024 Editorial Advisory Board “Access to Justice.” The editorial advisory boards provide feedback on Law360’s coverage and expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.

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Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.

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BOSTON – Mintz is pleased to announce that Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan M. Finegan has been selected as a member of Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s inaugural “Hall of Fame” class.

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BOSTON – Mintz is pleased to announce that Alyssa Scruggs is the recipient of the 2023 Richard Mintz Pro Bono Award for her work with survivors of human trafficking. This esteemed accolade, presented each year by the firm’s Pro Bono Committee, recognizes one attorney who exhibits exceptional dedication to pro bono work.

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BC Law Magazine described Chairman, R. Robert Popeo as a "legendary lawyer", "a creative strategist", and a "tenacious force" in an article remembering his career and legacy. The article quoted firm Members and fellow BC Law alumni on the lasting impact Mr. Popeo had.

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BOSTON – Mintz is pleased to announce that Susan Finegan, Chair of the firm's Pro Bono Committee, and Member Martha Koster have been honored with a Certificate of Appreciation by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court  for their leadership in co-founding and supporting the Access to Justice  Fellows  Program (Fellows Program).

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Mintz has once again been named a recipient of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)’s Beacon of Justice Award. This year, the award was given to law firms that demonstrated their “efforts to address issues related to LGBTQ+ rights and/or gender-based equity issues that intersect with racial equity.”

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Mintz's inclusion in the National Legal Aid & Defender Association's 2023 Beacon of Justice award was featured by Law360 Pulse. The article highlighted recent pro bono initiatives that the firm's attorneys are undertaking.

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Chair of Mintz's Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan was quoted in the March/April issue of San Diego Lawyer Journal about the benefits that pro bono work has on firm culture, recruitment, and retention.

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Chair of Mintz's Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan was interviewed by Donald Frederico on his Higher Callings podcast. In addition to elaborating on the pro bono work carried out by Mintz lawyers, Sue discussed a number of other topics about pro bono legal services.

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BOSTON – Mintz today announced the launch of a new abortion hotline offering legal guidance and resources to callers, moving to further defend abortion access in light of the Dobbs decision and passage of the new Massachusetts provider protection law.

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Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.

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Mintz has been named a recipient of the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)’s 2022 Beacon of Justice Award for its efforts to address systemic racial disparities in 2022.

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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan was featured in the inaugural Chambers Diversity & Inclusion North America Report. In her Q&A profile, Ms. Finegan discussed the Massachusetts Access to Justice Fellows program she co-founded as well as her work on groundbreaking immigrants’ rights cases.
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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan M. Finegan was selected to participate in Law360’s 2021 Access to Justice Editorial Advisory Board, which is a designated group of attorneys that provide feedback on the publication’s access to justice news coverage and insights on how best to shape future coverage.
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The Boston Globe covered the launch of the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Access to Justice Fund, a collaboration between the Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants Access to Justice Fund Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Bar Association, and the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, which will support initiatives to advance access to justice, racial equity, and criminal justice reform in the legal system. 
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Mintz was featured in a special publication from the National Legal Aid & Defender Association highlighting its Beacon of Justice 2020 awardees. The firm was selected for its “robust response to the country’s immigration and humanitarian crisis,” which included staffing clinics to assist legal permanent residents in their applications for U.S. citizenship, representing 15 unaccompanied children seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and engaging in strategic pro bono litigation, among other efforts.
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Mintz shortlisted for Inclusive Firm of the Year, two individuals shortlisted for Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year and Diversity & Inclusion Lawyer of the Year
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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan was featured in an article published by Law360 on how some attorneys have left BigLaw for public interest work. In the article, Ms. Finegan discussed her own move to public interest work, serving as Legal Director of nonprofit the Victim Rights Law Center, before returning to Mintz as its first full-time pro bono partner.
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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan, and Lynne Parker, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, co-authored an op-ed published by Commonwealth Magazine on the need for greater funding for civil legal aid in Massachusetts as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
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On an NBC Boston news segment, Mintz Member Drew DeVoogd discussed the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 15 decision in the consolidated cases captioned Bostock v. Clayton County, which ruled that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against workers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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In the latest guide, Mintz garnered rankings as a top national firm in eight practice areas, and 32 firm attorneys were individually recognized.
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Pro bono litigation team recognized for work to achieve groundbreaking victory for immigrants’ rights and mentorship provided to the legal community.
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An article published by Law360 highlighted law firms, including Mintz, providing pro bono legal assistance to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofits impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan M. Finegan has been selected to Law360’s 2020 Access to Justice Editorial Advisory Board. As a member of the editorial advisory board, Ms. Finegan will provide feedback on Law360’s public coverage of access to justice in civil and criminal court systems, as well as expert insight on how best to shape future coverage.
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An article published by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly reported that a victory secured in federal court by lawyers from Mintz and the American Civil Liberties Union is having a profound effect on the way bond hearings are conducted in deportation cases. The article included commentary from attorneys on the front lines in the Boston immigration court. One lawyer called the ruling a “breath of fresh air” and a “massive change in the law.”
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Articles published by Law360 and MassLive reported that Mintz, together with the ACLU of Massachusetts and the ACLU of New Hampshire, achieved a groundbreaking victory for immigrants’ rights when Chief U.S. District Judge Patti B. Saris ruled that the government’s practice of detaining certain immigrants by default violates both due process and the Administrative Procedure Act.

The first-of-its-kind class action lawsuit, Pereira Brito v. Barr, was filed in June on behalf of immigrants who were jailed due to flawed detention hearings in which the detainee was required to bear the burden of proof as to not being a flight risk or a danger to the community. The latest ruling holds that the class of immigrants are entitled to bond hearings at which the government bears the burden of justifying an immigrant’s detention, and at which the immigration court must consider someone’s ability to pay when setting a bond amount.

The Mintz pro bono team representing the plaintiffs in this case includes Members Susan Finegan and Susan Cohen, Special Counsel Andrew Nathanson, and Associates Mathilda McGee-Tubb, Jennifer Mather McCarthy, and Ryan Dougherty.
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Mintz Member and Chair of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee Susan M. Finegan was profiled in Corporate Counsel’s December issue—a special report featuring the winners of the publication’s 2019 Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards, which honored attorneys who have demonstrated a commitment to advancing the empowerment of women in law.

Ms. Finegan was recognized as a law firm honoree in the Collaborative Leadership Category for her outstanding work leading Mintz’s pro bono program and for her partnership efforts with advocacy organizations in the legal community.

In the Q&A, Ms. Finegan discussed her career path, shared leadership advice, and addressed her drive to find legal solutions for her most vulnerable clients.
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On November 12, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on three consolidated cases challenging the legality of President Trump’s decision to phase-out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, which protects eligible immigrant youth who came to the United States when they were children from deportation.
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Law360 covered a summary judgment argument by lawyers from Mintz and the American Civil Liberties Union in a class action lawsuit, Pereira Brito v. Barr, challenging the government’s practice of denying due process to detained immigrants.
An article published by Law360 covered a motion hearing in a class action lawsuit, Pereira Brito v. Barr, filed by Mintz, together with the ACLU of Massachusetts and the ACLU of New Hampshire, challenging the government’s practice of denying due process to detained immigrants.
Articles published by Law360 and Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly report on a class action lawsuit filed by Mintz, together with the ACLU of Massachusetts and the ACLU of New Hampshire, challenging the government’s practice of denying due process to detained immigrants.

In Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Member and Chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee Susan Finegan and Member and Founding Chair of Mintz’s Immigration Practice Susan Cohen discuss the purpose of the lawsuit and the legal challenges facing detained immigrants in Massachusetts and beyond.

To view the full press release on this lawsuit, please click here.
Susan Cohen, Chair of the Immigration practice, and Sue Finegan, a litigator and Chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee, were quoted in a Law360 article covering the efforts by law who may be taking on more pro bono matters as a result of actions by the Trump administration.
The Legal Services Corporation will honor Mintz Member Susan Finegan for her commitment to pro bono legal services in Massachusett. Ms. Finegan’s dedication to expanding pro bono work was a highlight in her nomination.
Mintz Member ​Susan Finegan is the recipient of the 2017 Volunteer Lawyers Project Yvette C. Mendez award for her dedication to making the Pro Bono Appellate Project a success.
Press Release Thumbnail Mintz
Best Lawyers named 85 Mintz attorneys to its 2018 list of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, Mintz attorneys Matthew J. Gardella and Samuel M. Tony Starr were named “Lawyer of the Year” in their respective practice areas.
Mintz's Sue Finegan discusses the access to justice movement by appellate lawyers using the due process clause of both the state and federal constitutions to advocate for a constitutionally based right to counsel. 
Susan M. Finegan, a Member of Mintz's Litigation Practice and Chair of the Pro Bono Committee, has been selected as the 2017 Woman of the Year on behalf of the Women’s Law Center at Boston College Law School.
Member Sue Finegan is among the alumni featured in an article from the February issue of BC Law Magazine focused on the early retaliatory steps and reactions to President Trump’s executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim majority countries.
This article covers the Massachusetts ACLU’s complaint seeking repeal of President Trump’s executive order on immigration, stating it is a Muslim ban. Sue Finegan, who is highlighted in the article, is a Member and Chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee.
Susan M. Finegan, Member of the Litigation Practice and Chair of the Pro Bono Committee at Mintz, has been selected as a 2017 Pinnacle Award winner for outstanding achievement in the professions by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. 
Best Lawyers named 73 Mintz attorneys to its 2017 list of The Best Lawyers in America. Mintz attorneys selected for inclusion in this year’s list span 44 practice areas. 
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Events & Speaking

Panelist
Feb
22
2023

In-House Pro Bono: The Basics

Pro Bono Institute

Washington, DC

Pro Bono Viewpoint
Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Apr
22
2019

Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission Updates

Boston Bar Association

Boston Bar Association, 16 Beacon Street, Boston, MA

Moderator
Mar
27
2019

Pro Bono Institute Annual Conference

Gaylord National Resort, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD

Speaker
Mar
5
2019

Massachusetts Bar Foundation’s 2019 Annual Meeting & Reception

Federal Reserve Building, 600 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA

Speaker
Feb
25
2019

Access to Justice Fellows Program Information Session

Boston Bar Association

Boston Bar Association, 16 Beacon Street, Boston, MA

Moderator
Feb
7
2019

LEAD: Women on Boards

Women of Dartmouth

Mintz, One Financial Center, Boston, MA

Moderator
Dec
12
2018

Appellate Bench-Bar Conference

John Adams Courthouse, Boston, MA

Panelist
Nov
15
2018

Access to Justice in Brazil and the U.S.

Boston College Law School, 885 Centre Street Newton, MA

Speaker
Oct
16
2018

Keynote Address on Access to Justice Initiatives

Liberty Mutual - 141 Congress Street Boston, MA 02110

Panelist
Speaker
May
12
2018

National Meeting of State Access to Justice Commission Chairs and State Supreme Court Justices

American Bar Association

Thomas Jefferson School of Law San Diego, CA

Panelist
Oct
26
2017

Conference on Law and State Government Fellowship Symposium

Indiana University McKinney School of Law

Speaker
Speaker
Speaker
Apr
13
2016

Pro Bono Appellate Pilot Program

Boston Bar Association

16 Beacon Street, Boston, MA

Speaker
Mar
28
2016

Expanding Access to Justice by Engaging Senior Fellows

Boston Bar Association

16 Beacon St. Boston, Ma

Speaker
Mar
23
2016

Pro Bono Institute Conference

Pro Bono Institute

Capital Hilton 1001 16th St NW, Washington, DC

Speaker
Apr
28
2015

Pilot Pro Bono Civil Appeals Clinic

Boston Bar Association

Boston, MA

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Sue is a nationally recognized pro bono pioneer with a passion for helping underserved populations and exceptional litigation skills. As chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee, she leads groundbreaking cases and manages pro bono matters for the firm. She has helped to defeat President Trump’s first immigration travel ban in early 2017, engineer the passage of a Massachusetts restraining order law for sexual assault survivors, and create several innovative statewide model pro bono programs in Massachusetts.

Recognition & Awards

  • Best Lawyers in America: Commercial Litigation (2014 – 2025)

  • Litigation Counsel of America 

  • Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent

  • Boston Bar Association, Thurgood Marshall Award (2024)

  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, recognized in Inaugural “Hall of Fame” class (2023)

  • Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Certificate of Appreciation (for leadership in co-founding and supporting the Access to Justice Fellows Program), Access to Justice Fellows Ten Year Gala (2023)

  • Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, Pro Bono Honor Roll (High Honor Roll)(since inception)

  • Chambers Diversity & Inclusion Awards: North America, shortlisted for Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year (2020, 2021)

  • Profiled in the Chambers D&I North America Report 2021 on Racial Inclusion in the Legal Profession

  • Law 360’s “Access to Justice” Editorial Advisory Board (2020, 2012, 2024) 

  • Recommended by The Legal 500 United States for Labor & Employment: Immigration (2020)  

  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, 2020 Attorney of the Year Designation

  • Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Adams Pro Bono Awards, Ralph D. Gants Award for Extraordinary Leadership in Pro Bono Services, Inaugural Recipient (2020)

  • The National Law Journal: Crisis Leadership Trailblazer (2020)

  • Corporate Counsel Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards, Law Firm Honoree in Collaborative Leadership Category (2019)

  • Massachusetts Bar Foundation, Great Friend of Justice Award (2019)

  • The Second Step, Founders’ Award (2019)

  • Legal Services Corporation, Pro Bono Award (2017)

  • Volunteer Lawyers Project, Yvette Mendez Award (2017)

  • Boston College Law School, Women’s Law Center, Woman of the Year Award (2017)

  • Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Pinnacle Award (2017)

  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Top Women of the Law - Circle of Excellence Award (2015)

  • International Bar Association Pro Bono Award (2013)

  • Women's Bar Association of Massachusetts, Lelia J. Robinson Award (2013)

  • Political Asylum/Immigration Representation (PAIR) Project Outstanding Achievement Award (2013); Pro Bono Law Firm Award (2017)

  • Jane Doe, Inc. Inaugural Kelly Timilty Advocate for Justice Award (2013)

  • Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly/Massachusetts Bar Association Excellence in Pro Bono Award (2012)

  • Massachusetts Super Lawyers: Legal Aid/Legal Services (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 Special Recognition Award for Distinguished Service and Significant Contributions to the Pro Bono Program (2003)

  • Mintz Pro Bono Award (1998)

  • Dartmouth College Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award (1996)

  • St. Thomas More Award, Boston College Law School (1991)

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Sue is a nationally recognized pro bono pioneer with a passion for helping underserved populations and exceptional litigation skills. As chair of Mintz’s Pro Bono Committee, she leads groundbreaking cases and manages pro bono matters for the firm. She has helped to defeat President Trump’s first immigration travel ban in early 2017, engineer the passage of a Massachusetts restraining order law for sexual assault survivors, and create several innovative statewide model pro bono programs in Massachusetts.

Involvement

  • Board of Trustees, Dartmouth College (Vice Chair; Chair, Audit and Oversight Committee; Member, Presidential Search Committee)
  • Trustee, Boston Bar Foundation
  • Advisory Board, Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School
  • Former Co-chair, Massachusetts Access to Justice Commission
  • Former Chair, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Standing Committee Pro Bono Legal Services
  • Former Chair and Member, Massachusetts Commission on Judicial Conduct
  • Former Member, Judicial Nominating Commission
  • Former Co-chair, Boston College Law School Law Day Dinner
  • Former Member, Dartmouth College Alumni Council (and former member, Dartmouth College Alumni Awards Committee)
  • Former Chair, Merit Selection Panel for Magistrate Judge, United States District Court
  • Former Member, Boston Bar Association Council
  • Former Member, Boston Bar Association’s Women’s Leadership and Advancement Forum
  • Former Member, Boston Bar Association's Task Force on Expanding the Civil Right to Counsel
  • Former Board of Directors, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, Inc.
  • Former Board of Directors, Massachusetts Equal Justice Fund
  • Former Member, Trial Court Gender Equality Advisory Board
  • Former Board of Directors, Women’s Bar Foundation
  • Former President, Dartmouth College Association of Alumni
  • Former Member, Presidential Steering Committee on Moving Dartmouth Forward
  • Former Board of Advisors, Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy at Dartmouth College
  • Former Member, External Advisory Committee, Dartmouth College Campus Climate and Culture Initiative
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Susan M. Finegan

(she/her/hers)

Member

Boston