Lara Elizabeth Montecalvo (née Lara Elizabeth Ewens; born 1974) is an American lawyer from Rhode Island who has served as a United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit since 2022.

Lara Montecalvo
Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
Assumed office
September 20, 2022
Appointed byJoe Biden
Preceded byO. Rogeriee Thompson
Personal details
Born
Lara Elizabeth Ewens

1974 (age 49–50)
Syracuse, New York, U.S.
SpouseCraig V. Montecalvo[1]
Children1
EducationSwarthmore College (BA)
Boston College (JD)

Early life and education

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Born Lara Elizabeth Ewens in 1974 in Syracuse, New York,[2] Montecalvo received her Bachelor of Arts from Swarthmore College in 1996 and her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School in 2000.[3]

Career

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Montecalvo started her legal career as a trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice Tax Division from 2000 to 2004. From 2004 to 2020, she served as an assistant public defender in the Rhode Island Public Defender's Office; she served in multiple roles within the office including as a trial attorney from 2004 to 2010, as an appellate attorney from 2010 to 2014 and as chief of the appellate division from 2014 to 2020. In March 2020, Montecalvo was nominated by Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo to serve as the Public Defender of Rhode Island.[3][4]

Federal judicial service

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On April 27, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Montecalvo to serve as a United States circuit judge for the First Circuit.[3][5] Her nomination was praised by Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse.[5] On May 19, 2022, her nomination was sent to the Senate. President Biden nominated Montecalvo to the seat to be vacated by Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson, who announced her intent to assume senior status upon confirmation of a successor.[5][6] On May 25, 2022, a hearing on her nomination was held before the Senate Judiciary Committee.[7] On June 16, 2022, her nomination was reported out of committee by a 12–10 vote.[8] On September 13, 2022, the United States Senate invoked cloture on her nomination by a 51–45 vote.[9] On September 14, 2022, her nomination was confirmed by a 52–47 vote.[10] Montecalvo was the sixth public defender nominated by President Biden to be confirmed as a U.S. circuit judge, handing Biden the record for placing the most nominees with that kind of experience onto the circuit courts.[11][12] She received her judicial commission on September 20, 2022.[13]

Personal life

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Montecalvo lives in Barrington, Rhode Island, with her husband, Craig V. Montecalvo, and their son.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "President Biden names RI public defender Lara Montecalvo to federal appeals court". news.yahoo.com. 27 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Questionnaire for Judicial Nominees" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved May 24, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "President Biden Names Seventeenth Round of Judicial Nominees" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. April 27, 2022. Retrieved April 27, 2022.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Raimondo Nominates Lara Montecalvo for Rhode Island Public Defender (March 5, 2020). "RIGOV". www.ri.gov. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d Mulvaney, Katie (April 27, 2022). "President Biden names RI public defender Lara Montecalvo to federal appeals court". The Providence Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  6. ^ "Nominations Sent to the Senate" (Press release). Washington, D.C.: The White House. May 19, 2022.
  7. ^ "Nominations". Washington, D.C.: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. May 23, 2022.
  8. ^ "Results of Executive Business Meeting – June 16, 2022" (PDF). United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture: Lara E. Montecalvo to be United States Circuit Judge for the First Circuit)". United States Senate. September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "On the Nomination (Confirmation: Lara E. Montecalvo, of Rhode Island, to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the First Circuit)". United States Senate. September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Raymond, Nate. "U.S. Senate vote gives Biden record for most public defenders on appeals courts".
  12. ^ Alder, Madison. "Biden Sets Record for Public Defenders on Circuit Courts (1)".
  13. ^ Lara Montecalvo at the Biographical Directory of Federal Judges, a publication of the Federal Judicial Center.
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Legal offices
Preceded by Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
2022–present
Incumbent