Mary S. McElroy


Mary Susan McElroy is a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.

Education

McElroy received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1987 from Providence College. She received a Juris Doctor in 1992 from Suffolk University Law School.

Legal career

She began her legal career by serving as a law clerk to Justice Donald F. Shea of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, from 1992 to 1993. From 1993 to 1994, she was an associate at the law firm of Tate and Elias LLC in Providence, Rhode Island. From 1994 to 1996, she served as an Assistant Rhode Island Public Defender for the Rhode Island Public Defender's Office. From 2006 to 2012, she served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the Districts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. From 2012–2019, she served as the Public Defender for the Rhode Island Public Defender's Office.

Federal judicial service

Failed nomination to district court under Obama

On September 8, 2015, President Obama nominated McElroy to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island, to the seat vacated by Judge Mary M. Lisi, who took senior status on October 1, 2015. She received a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on December 9, 2015. On January 28, 2016, her nomination was reported out of committee by voice vote. Her nomination expired on January 3, 2017, with the end of the 114th Congress.

Renomination to district court under Trump

On April 10, 2018, President Trump announced his intent to nominate McElroy to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island. She was nominated to the seat vacated by Judge Mary M. Lisi, who assumed senior status on April 1, 2015. On April 12, 2018, her nomination was sent to the Senate. On October 11, 2018, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 19–2 vote.
On January 3, 2019, her nomination was returned to the President under Rule XXXI, Paragraph 6 of the United States Senate. On April 8, 2019, President Trump announced the renomination of McElroy to the district court. On May 21, 2019, her nomination was sent to the Senate. On June 20, 2019, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 19–3 vote. The three negative votes came from Republicans. On September 11, 2019, the Senate confirmed her nomination by a voice vote. She received her judicial commission on September 30, 2019.