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Melissa A. Long

Melissa Long
Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 11, 2021
Appointed byGina Raimondo
Preceded byFrancis Flaherty
Personal details
Born
Melissa Austin

1970 or 1971 (age 53–54)
EducationUniversity of Virginia (BA)
George Mason University (JD)

Melissa Austin Long[1] (born 1970 or 1971)[2] is an American lawyer who has served as an associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court since 2021.[3] She previously served as an associate justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court from 2017 to 2021.

Long received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Virginia in 1992 and her Juris Doctor from the George Mason University School of Law in 1995.[4] After law school, she served as contract attorney in the Public Defenders office representing indigent parents in terminations of parental rights cases.[5] Long also served in a variety of roles at the Rhode Island Department of Transportation, including Senior Legal Counsel and Title VI Coordinator.[6] Long served as Deputy Secretary of State and Director of Administration within the office of the Secretary of State of Rhode Island.[7]

State court service

Rhode Island Superior Court

On June 27, 2017, Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo appointed Long to be an associate justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Judge Patricia A. Hurst.[8] On September 19, 2017, her nomination was approved in the Rhode Island Senate.[9] She was sworn in by Governor Raimondo on October 12, 2017.[10]

Rhode Island Supreme Court

Long was one of six final candidates being considered for a vacancy on the Rhode Island Supreme Court.[11] On December 8, 2020, Long was nominated by Governor Raimondo to be an associate justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, replacing Justice Francis Flaherty, who retired on December 31, 2020.[12] On December 18, 2020, her nomination was confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate.[13] With her confirmation, Long became the first African American on the court.[14] Since the confirmation of Long and Erin Lynch Prata, the five-member court has a female majority for the first time in its history.[7] She was sworn into office on January 11, 2021.[15]

References

  1. ^ "FindLaw's Supreme Court of Rhode Island case and opinions".
  2. ^ "September 2020". 28 September 2020.
  3. ^ Gammans, Bay; Wilber, Logan (January 11, 2021). "Melissa Long sworn in as first Black justice in RI Supreme Court". WPRI.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  4. ^ "Rhode Island Superior Court Associate Justice". opengov.sos.ri.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  5. ^ "Judicial appointees approved by RI Senate".
  6. ^ "First Minority Named to RI Supreme Court: Long and Lynch Prata Tapped to Fill Vacancies".
  7. ^ a b "Raimondo makes historic nomination to state Supreme Court". San Francisco Chronicle. 2020-12-08. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  8. ^ Borg, Linda. "Raimondo appoints deputy secretary of state to fill Superior Court opening". providencejournal.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  9. ^ Gregg, Katherine. "Judicial appointees approved by RI Senate". providencejournal.com. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  10. ^ "Raimondo swears in Melissa Long as Superior Court judge". providencejournal.com. October 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  11. ^ Gregg, Katherine (November 23, 2020). "Judicial panel selects 6 to interview for RI Supreme Court opening". The Providence Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Fenton, Josh (December 8, 2020). "First Minority Named to RI Supreme Court: Long and Lynch Prata Tapped to Fill Vacancies". GoLocalProv. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  13. ^ "Statement from Judge Melissa A. Long" (PDF). Rhode Island Judiciary. December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
  14. ^ Mulvaney, Katie (December 8, 2020). "Raimondo names Melissa Long, Erin Lynch Prata to RI Supreme Court". The Providence Journal. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  15. ^ Gammans, Bay; Wilber, Logan (January 11, 2021). "Melissa Long sworn in as first Black justice in RI Supreme Court". WPRI.com. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
Legal offices
Preceded by Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court
2021–present 		Incumbent


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