12-02-2025
The federal judge trying to hold President Trump accountable is revered in Rhode Island
The First Circuit US Court of Appeals
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'An executive branch official ignoring a clear order of a federal court sets up a constitutional crisis because the courts don't have an army,' said David Logan, the former dean of the Roger Williams University School of Law.
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But Logan and other prominent Rhode Islanders say the 66-year-old McConnell, who has now been on the bench for nearly 14 years, is well-equipped to handle the pressure that comes with ruling against the most powerful man on the planet.
'He is a terrific judge, and if it's possible, a better human being,' Logan said.
McConnell was born in Providence, and graduated from Brown University in 1980 before earning his law degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1983. He clerked for Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Donald F. Shea, and ended up marrying Shea's daughter, Sara.
He spent most of his career as an attorney at the law firm that is now known as Motley Rice, working on asbestos lawsuits, and later, the 46-state Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement that was worth more than $200 billion.
In 2010, McConnell disclosed in a Senate Judiciary Committee questionnaire that he was slated to receive at least $2.5 million a year through 2024 from that settlement.
McConnell also led a multibillion-dollar lawsuit brought by the state of Rhode Island against lead paint companies in the early 2000s, but the Rhode Island Supreme Court later overturned a jury verdict in the state's favor.
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As McConnell's legal career blossomed, he became active in Democratic politics, donating and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to congressional candidates around the country in the 1990s and 2000s.
In Rhode Island, he was an early supporter of
McConnell's political influence faced heavy scrutiny when he was first nominated for federal judgeship by president Barack Obama in 2010. US Senator John Cornyn of Texas led the charge against McConnell,
The Wall Street Journal and US Chamber of Commerce also argued against McConnell's nomination to the bench, which prompted the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce to publicly support McConnell. He was finally confirmed in 2011.
'I strongly felt that Jack's character was perfect for the bench,' said Howard Sutton, former publisher of The Providence Journal, which published editorials backing McConnell. 'He was an excellent candidate, and his tenure on the bench has lived up to those aspirations.'
Politics aside, McConnell and his wife have become revered for their support of nonprofits across the state.
As chair of board at Crossroads Rhode Island, he helped transform the state's largest service agency for the unhoused. He was a leading voice with the Nonviolence Institute in Providence, which helps to curb gang violence in the city. And he's a former board chair at the Trinity Repertory Company, an award-winning regional theater in Providence.
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Sara Shea McConnell is on the board at Sophia Academy, a private school for low-income middle school girls, and St. Andrew's in Barrington. The couple also helped fund
'He's always been trying to find the best in humanity,' said Matt Jerzyk, an attorney, lobbyist, and longtime Democratic political operative who counts McConnell as a mentor.
'The great thing about Jack is he's a community leader,' said Curt Columbus, Trinity Rep.'s artistic director. 'I still go to him all the time for advice.'
Now that McConnell is about to face the most scrutiny of his career — with a rabid network of social media accounts seeking to expose perceived biases against Trump anywhere they can find it — his allies say he'll be up to the challenge.
The latest criticism from Trump's supporters has extended to McConnell's daughter, Catherine, who recently left her job working for the US Department of Education. The journalist-provocateur Laura Loomer
Taveras, the former Providence mayor who has represented clients before McConnell in federal court, said the judge has the temperament to handle whatever is thrown at him.
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'I think he was made for this moment,' Taveras said.
Dan McGowan is a member of the board of the directors at the Greater Providence YMCA. McConnell is a former board member.
Dan McGowan can be reached at
