Former U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Rachael Rollins has hit a legal roadblock with her license to practice law in the state now suspended. NBC Boston reported that the suspension, decided upon on Feb. 20, was for the failure to pay registration fees.
Rollins, who made history as the first Black woman to hold the U.S. Attorney post in Massachusetts, resigned last year in the wake of an ethics investigation. The Justice Department's inspector general had accused her of "an extraordinary abuse of power," particularly, regarding accusations of leaking information to undermine the campaign of her successor. In a setback of protocol, her troubles continue as she has not paid the $300 fee required to reactivate her legal status, as per The Boston Herald.
Rachael Rollins resigned from her post following a report by the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, sent to President Biden, which alleged multiple violations of the Hatch Act. Following her resignation, Rollins moved on to a part-time special projects administrator position at Roxbury Community College, working with a project aimed at reintegrating formerly incarcerated individuals. Joyce Taylor Gibson of the college praised Rollins' extensive legal background and leadership experience, which she brought to the role.
Now, Rollins finds herself among hundreds of other attorneys suspended for similar administrative reasons. The suspensions, as the state's Board of Bar Overseers filed with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, are part of a standard procedure for those who lapse in fee payments. Stephen Cronin, second assistant clerk for the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County, confirmed Rollins' non-payment status but could not provide additional insight into any further disciplinary actions that may be pending by the Board of Bar Overseers, which typically, does not publicly discuss ongoing matters.
Despite the setback, Rollins' work at Roxbury Community College continues, where she's slated to earn an annual rate of $96,000. She has already received $7,339 this year for her contributions to the college's new initiative, designed to support the reentry of formerly incarcerated women of color into their communities. With Rollins' law license status publicly listed as an "administrative suspension for non-registration," her future in the legal profession remains uncertain amid these administrative hurdles and the backdrop of her tumultuous departure from the federal office.
