Bill Sullivan honored to be state’s newest judge

After an illustrious law career spanning 30-plus years and dozens of high-profile cases, William “Bill” Sullivan of Canton is headed to the bench.

Nominated by Governor Deval Patrick and confirmed by the Governor’s Council by a unanimous vote on May 21, Sullivan will replace D. Lloyd Macdonald as the state’s next Superior Court justice following a transition period in which he withdraws from his Quincy-based practice, Sullivan and Sweeney, LLP.

Bill Sullivan (top right) with his wife Mary Lou and sons Will (top left), Conor (bottom left), and Brennan (bottom right)

“I am very pleased to nominate such a highly qualified litigator to the Superior Court bench,” Governor Patrick said in a statement issued to the press. “I thank [Sullivan] for his demonstrated commitment to the fair administration of justice and his willingness to serve the commonwealth as a member of the judiciary.”

Widely regarded as one of the state’s top criminal defense attorneys, Sullivan has tried hundreds of cases in Superior Court and has won acquittals on charges ranging from first degree murder and rape to drug trafficking and drunk driving. He is a former Norfolk County and Quincy Bar Association Man of the Year and has earned the highest possible peer review rating (AV Preeminent) from Martindale-Hubbell.

Prior to starting his criminal defense practice, Sullivan served for two years as an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County. He also served as a special assistant city solicitor in Quincy from 2006 to 2008 and was a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission from 2003 to 2007. He is a proud graduate of the University of Notre Dame, where he played for the Fighting Irish men’s soccer team, and holds a Juris Doctor degree from Boston College Law School.

In an interview with the Citizen, Sullivan described his appointment as both a tremendous honor and an “awesome responsibility” — albeit one that he did not even consider until he had several years of trial experience under his belt.

“It’s really a new opportunity,” he said. “It’s not something that I ever set as a goal. I don’t think starting out your career you ever say you want to be a judge.”

But when the opportunity did finally arise, Sullivan felt he was ready for the challenge and made the decision to apply at the urging of several of his colleagues.

He described the application process as lengthy and extensive, involving an interview with the Judicial Nominating Commission and a thorough vetting process and, ultimately, approval by the governor and the Governor’s Council.

“There were a large number of people who were considered, so I was very fortunate and honored to be chosen,” said Sullivan, who seemed to impress the council with his trial experience and impressive track record in serious cases.

Sullivan’s appointment places him in some pretty select company, as there are only 82 justices in the commonwealth assigned to Superior Court, which handles civil matters over $25,000 and most serious felonies, including all first degree murder cases.

New appointees are paired up with a mentor and go through a few weeks of training, although it will not be long before Sullivan is on the bench presiding over trials in one of the state’s 20 Superior courthouses.

“You’re sitting in a session pretty quickly, so it all happens pretty fast,” he said.

Sullivan admitted to being nervous but said it would be unusual if he didn’t feel at least a few butterflies. “It’s a new challenge, and until you actually do it you’re going to have some nerves,” he said. “But the training and experience I’ve had I think will serve me well.”

Outside of the courtroom, Sullivan is a big sports fan and enjoys spending time with his family, including his wife, Mary Lou, and his three adult sons: Will, Conor and Brennan.

Sullivan said they are all excited about the appointment and they share his belief that it’s a “great honor and a pretty good challenge.”

As for the type of judge he plans to be, Sullivan said it will take some time to really formulate an identity, but his goal is to be fair and impartial while treating each case individually.

“Each case is different,” he said, “and I’d like to think that I’d be the type of judge that will fairly balance both sides of the ledger.”

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Posted by Jay Turner on Jun 5 2014. Filed under Features. Both comments and pings are currently closed.