U.S. Senate Confirms Melissa DuBose as U.S. Federal District Court Judge for Rhode Island

U.S. Senate Confirms Melissa DuBose as U.S. Federal District Court Judge for Rhode Island

Associate Judge on the Rhode Island District Court Melissa R. DuBose has been confirmed to the U.S. District Court by the United States Senate.

On Tuesday, the Senate approved the 55-year-old Providence resident’s nomination by a vote of 51-47.

DuBose becomes the first person of color and first openly LGBTQ judge to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island.  

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She will fill the vacancy created by Judge William E. Smith, who announced that he will retire from regular active service and  assume senior status on January 1, 2025.

 

About DuBose

A native Rhode Islander,  DuBose, 55, graduated from Providence College in 1990 with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and went on to receive her teaching certification from the Providence College School of Continuing Education.

She taught history and civics in the Providence Public Schools for a decade and earned her Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law, graduating in 2004.  Upon earning her law degree, she was appointed Special Assistant Attorney General for Rhode Island and assigned to the criminal division from 2005 to 2008.  

DuBose went on to serve as senior legal counsel at Schneider Electric in Foxboro, Massachusetts, providing in-house legal support for the company’s global units and specializing in federal contracts, corporate compliance, ethics, and fair trade.

In December 2018, she was appointed to the Rhode Island District Court by Governor Gina Raimondo and confirmed by the Rhode Island State Senate the following month.