U.S. District Judge Patti Saris GLS’69

In an interview with Harvard Law Today in 2019, Judge Patti B. Saris emphasized her strong belief in Veritas — truth — which she actively applies in her work on the federal bench and beyond. As a West Roxbury native and graduate of Girls Latin School ‘69, Judge Saris originally had her sights set on journalism in her undergraduate career. As a student reporter of the Harvard Crimson during a time of contentions surrounding the civil rights movement, Vietnam War, and women’s movement, Judge Saris took inspiration from the women and activists she spoke to. Inspired by those non-complicit to the status quo, she decided to go to law school during a time when few women were represented in law. 

Throughout her career, Judge Saris continuously challenged the “now” by becoming the first woman to clerk for Justice Robert Braucher of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court after graduating from Harvard Law School in 1976. She went on to serve as Chief U.S. District Judge in succession of the Honorable Mark L. Wolf from 2013-2019 with roles as Assistant US Attorney, US Magistrate Judge, and more in between. Throughout her time on the bench, Judge Saris has dealt with cases ranging from intellectual property disputes to drug offenses. Specifically on the former, she has mentioned that cases involving cutting-edge sciences are crucial for a court to be “top-notch” in and has spoken at summits concerning life science law and its implications. This view has become increasingly prevalent in the legal sphere with the rapid rise of new technologies everyday. 

As a Judge and a human, Judge Saris makes decisions every day, whether it be that of balancing work and life or determining someone’s sentence. When sentencing, Judge Saris balances mandatory minimums, ensuring that what must be done is, but not without considering the larger, human context of the ordeal. One of her many decisions in addition to sentencing was to be involved in starting the Nelson Fellowship at the John Joseph Moakley Courthouse. Throughout the year, she could be instructing at Harvard, taking on fellows from programs, or bringing her grandkids from basketball camp to explore the courthouse—all in an effort to educate the next generation of leaders, truth seekers, and justice deliverers.