On September 3, 2013, Rachael Rollins became the Chief Legal Counsel of the Massachusetts Port Authority. She is the first person of color to ever hold this position. As Chief Legal Counsel, Rachael oversees legal activity in all functional areas including real estate, construction, litigation, employment and ethics, maritime, aviation, security and public finance.
Immediately prior to her appointment, Rachael was the General Counsel of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). She is the first female General Counsel in the history of the MBTA, and the first person to ever serve jointly as General Counsel for both entities. Rachael is a former Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts. As an AUSA, she prosecuted both civil and criminal cases, defended the United States and its agencies in a wide array of civil suits, brought actions to recover damages against those who committed frauds against the government, and prosecuted federal criminal firearm and drug offenses. Prior to joining the USAO, Rachael was an associate at the law firms of Bingham McCutchen and Seyfarth Shaw.
Rachael is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (B.A.), Northeastern University School of Law (J.D.), and Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M.). She is the immediate past President of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association and Governor Deval Patrick recently appointed her to the Judicial Nominating Commission. Rachael has also received numerous awards and recognitions including Top Women of the Law from Mass Lawyers Weekly, a Boston Business Journal “40 Under 40” Award, the Volunteer Lawyers Project’s Lawyer of the Year Award and selection as one of the Top Ten Lawyers in New England by the Women’s Business Journal.