As governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey is putting the people first in every regard. “Representation matters,” she says. “When we have more people in leadership positions who reflect the people we serve, we get better policies, better laws and better work done.” 

As attorney general of Massachusetts for eight years, Maura was an advocate for consumers, fighting for civil rights, standing up for those who are vulnerable — people with disabilities, seniors, children — and taking on issues of gun violence, prescription drug abuse, domestic violence, and more to protect the public interest.

After graduating from Harvard College, Maura decided to pursue a legal career focused on social justice. “I was very intentional about my decision to go to Northeastern,” says Maura, who successfully argued the state’s challenge to the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2012. “I went to Northeastern because it is the country’s leading public interest law school.”

In addition her service as governor and with the AG’s office, Maura worked as a prosecutor at the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office and handled commercial and securities litigation with Hale and Dorr (now WilmerHale), a leading global law firm.

In her January 2023 inaugural address, Maura, the first woman and first gay person ever elected governor of Massachusetts, and as one of the first two openly lesbian governors in the United States, said, “I assume this office with humility — mindful of the weight of history and lightened by the gift of gratitude. It is the honor of my life to lead this state.”