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Former U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins suspended from practicing law

The former U.S. Attorney and Suffolk County DA resigned from her federal post amid ethics investigations last year.

Rachael Rollins. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

March 13, 2024

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Rachael Rollins, the disgraced former U.S. Attorney who resigned amid a federal investigation into ethical violations last year, has been suspended from practicing law in Massachusetts, court records show.

Rollins, who was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1999, is facing an administrative suspension for not paying her registration fees. The decision to suspend her, along with dozens of other lawyers, came from the Supreme Judicial Court last month.

Rollins might be taking a step back from law. She recently landed a new position at Roxbury Community College, reportedly to lead a program for formerly incarcerated people. There, she’ll make a salary of $96,000, payroll records show.

Known for her platform of progressive criminal justice reform, then-Suffolk County District Attorney Rollins was sworn in as the U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts in 2022. But in 2023, two federal watchdog groups said she abused her position for political gain.

According to the reports, Rollins tried to influence the race for Suffolk County District Attorney against now-DA Kevin Hayden. Her resignation as the state’s top federal prosecutor came in May 2023, one day before the reports became public.

The Justice Department said she tried to suggest that Hayden was under investigation while coordinating appearances with and acting as a campaign advisor to Ricardo Arroyo. Arroyo, a former District 5 City Councilor, was not reelected to the body amid his own ethical concerns.