Susan M. Finegan never imagined, as a law student at Boston College, that one day she would serve as Mintz’s Pro Bono Partner. At the time, such a role didn’t exist.
“When I graduated from law school, I thought I’d be a public interest lawyer,” she recalls.
After earning her JD in 1991, Finegan clerked for the Honorable Andrew A. Caffrey at the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and for the Honorable Francis P. O’Connor at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. In 1993, she joined Mintz, motivated by a passion for litigation and the firm’s commitment to pro bono work.
“I really wanted to be a litigator, and I was looking for excellent training and mentorship,” she said. “But I also knew that the firm did a lot of pro bono work, and I wanted to make sure that I had access to that as well.”
As an associate and later partner, Finegan handled complex cases in commercial litigation, white collar defense, defamation, land use, and insurance matters, while always prioritizing pro bono work. She played a key role in the firm’s Domestic Violence Project, which has provided representation to hundreds of survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault since its founding in 1989. The program has grown to support state and national legislative initiatives, draft appellate and amicus briefs, and represent coalitions and related nonprofit organizations nationwide.
Thirty years later, Finegan manages Mintz’s entire pro bono portfolio, overseeing more than 300 cases each year across the firm’s eight offices. She also serves as lead counsel on numerous high-profile pro bono litigation matters. In addition, part of her job includes advising in-house clients on building their own pro bono programs.
“Pro bono work reinforces faith in our system of justice and offers our lawyers new perspectives,” said Mike Fantozzi, Managing Member of Mintz’s Boston office. “Sue is a compassionate leader who has had an extraordinary impact in increasing access to legal services for low-income people across Massachusetts and beyond.”
One of Finegan’s proudest achievements began with an impromptu conversation in 2011 with Mintz colleague Martha Koster, who was contemplating retirement but wished to remain active in pro bono work. Realizing there was a need for post-retirement pro bono opportunities across the legal community, Finegan and Koster, with the support of other Boston legal leaders—including former BBA and BBF President Richard Soden—developed the Access to Justice Fellows Program. Since its founding in 2012, the program—now run by the Lawyers Clearinghouse—has enabled over 200 retired lawyers and judges to complete more than 200,000 hours of pro bono service for various non-profits and public interest organizations.
“I think a lot about the impact that the Fellows Program has had on so many low-income people in Massachusetts,” Finegan said. “I get emotional, really, when I think about the ripple effect of how these amazing lawyers and judges have been able to give back.”
“Sue is a person who makes things happen,” said Koster. “Some people dream, concoct ideas, and make plans to improve the world but the ideas remain just that, never going beyond that stage. Working with Sue on the Access to Justice Fellows Program, as well as numerous other projects, I have learned that her energy, determination and commitment to positive change will move an idea into a reality.”
“Sue’s dedication, leadership, and mentorship through her pioneering efforts with the Access to Justice Fellows program have inspired countless lawyers to embrace pro bono work, recognizing the profound impact that our profession can have on individuals and communities,” said BBA President Matt McTygue.
While Finegan says she’s looking forward to joining the Fellows Program herself when it comes time to retire, for now, she has her hands full managing her own pro bono litigation matters, and the firm’s hundreds of pro bono cases every year. Managing a caseload of that size and scope is no easy task, but Finegan has gotten it down to a science.
She organizes Mintz’s pro bono work into different categories: long-standing partnerships with organizations focused on asylum, domestic violence, and similar causes; cases matched to the interests of Mintz lawyers; and urgent issues of social justice. For instance, following George Floyd’s murder, two first-year associates wanted to engage in racial justice efforts. Finegan connected them with a criminal-record sealing clinic started by Lawyers Clearinghouse and the mayor’s office to help people, especially from the BIPOC community, overcome the barrier of a criminal record.
“My job is to marry that interest and excitement with a project that’s going to work and make a difference,” Finegan said. “Over the last four years, that [record-sealing clinic] has been one of our most successful projects.”
Beyond the structured “buckets,” she also responds to current events, such as reproductive rights post-Dobbs and humanitarian aid during the Afghanistan crisis.
“The world has a tendency to make some of these decisions for us,” she said. “At moments like those, I try to take the temperature of the world and the people in my firm and try to make a difference.”
McTygue describes Finegan as “a champion for the most vulnerable” who “has been a tireless advocate for pro bono legal services, at Mintz, across greater Boston, and beyond.”
Her philosophy is simple: “We’re quite fortunate to be lawyers, to have the skills and the tools to make real, tangible differences in peoples’ lives, and when we have an opportunity to give back, we should never hesitate to take it.” She often reminds associates, “We’re lucky to be in this beautiful office in this huge building, and we have an obligation to look out the window and see the people and the communities that are out there. We have a responsibility as lawyers to give back to those communities.”
With so many opportunities to give back, and so many causes deserving of attention, figuring out the most effective way to make a difference can be overwhelming. Even knowing where to start can be difficult, but Finegan says the first step is a simple one.
“Part of it is just saying ‘yes,’” she said. “I’ve never regretted saying yes.”
She recalls being at the 2017 BBF Adams Benefit, when her phone began ringing. News had broken that President Trump had just signed Executive Order 13769, a travel ban restricting entry into the United States impacting mostly majority-Muslim countries.
“Suddenly, I’m racing to the airport, then to federal court, and scrambling to do what needs to be done with several others to obtain an injunction,” she recalled. “It’s 8pm, I’m at a ball, I didn’t need to answer my phone. But you just lean into it and say ‘yes.’”
Though she’s never done it for recognition, Finegan does say she hopes the spotlight on her and others’ work—and the clients in need of help—incentivizes people to do the same.
“I’ve been able to work with such incredible clients,” Finegan said, “and it’s been an honor to work with them and see their resilience. They serve as a reminder that anyone can make a difference, and if you can help make a difference to one person, that in itself is transformative.”
