Overview
Robert (Bob) J. Cordy’s practice includes business litigation, white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, appellate work and major public/private projects.
Bob previously served for 16 years as an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. He has worked with judges from Mexico, Russia, China, Kosovo, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Afghanistan and other countries on issues relating to judicial ethics, rule of law principles and the American judicial system. Bob also served as chair of the Supreme Judicial Court Rules Committee, co-chair of the Supreme Judicial Court Judiciary-Media Committee and member of the Committee for Capital Planning for the Judicial System.
Bob began his career working for the Massachusetts Public Defenders Office, and subsequently held positions with the Massachusetts Department of Revenue, the Massachusetts State Ethics Commission and the United States Attorney’s Office where he became the chief of the Public Corruption prosecution unit. Bob also served as chief legal counsel to Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld, working on a wide range of policy issues including regulatory and criminal justice reform, ethics in government and the appointment of judges. Before his appointment to the Supreme Judicial Court in 2001, Bob was a partner and head of McDermott’s Boston office.
Recognitions
- The Best Lawyers in America, Appellate Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2020 to 2024
Community
- Appointed to the newly created Ethics Council of the Judiciary of the Ukraine as an International Expert in November, 2021
- Revolutionary Spaces, overseeing the 1713 Massachusetts State House Museum, trustee
- Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, former board member
- New England Legal Foundation, Board member
- Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, Board of editors
- 2019 Recipient of the James D. Kaufman International Citizen Award from WorldBoston for his work on fostering global engagement and cooperation that has helped shape international affairs
- Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Advisory Council
- Judicial Advisory Board of the American Society of International Law, former member
- Standards Review Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions, former member
Credentials
Education
Harvard Law School, JD, 1974
Dartmouth College, AB, cum laude, 1971
Admissions
Massachusetts
Courts / Agencies
US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit
US District Court for the District of Massachusetts
