About Charles E.
Charles E. Dolan trained first as a scientist before turning to the law. He earned a Bachelor of Science in geology and geophysics from Boston College in 1978 and went on to receive his J.D. from Western New England University School of Law in 1985. The combination of technical training and legal education informs how he approaches complex factual records.
After law school he joined the Massachusetts bar in 1985 and has maintained active membership since then. He is admitted to practice in Massachusetts, to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and before the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. Those admissions have allowed him to take cases through trial-level proceedings and into appellate briefing when matters require it.
Dolan’s professional record includes time at Raipher, P.C. He is also listed with the office Raipher D. Pellegrino Associates, P.C. across filings and directories. His work over the years has involved appearances in state and federal forums in Massachusetts and the preparation of pleadings and court filings for complex matters.
Outside the courtroom he has been active in local organizations. Since 1999 he has served on the board of directors for W.M Pioneers Professional Soccer, a role he continues to hold. He has also been a long-standing member of the Massachusetts State Bar since his admission year. Those positions reflect an interest in civic engagement and in the governance of professional and community institutions.
Colleagues describe Dolan as methodical. He grounds arguments in the record and in precedent. He draws on a background in the sciences when cases turn on technical or factual detail. That background has proved useful in litigation where evidence requires careful parsing.
In practice he handles matters arising in Massachusetts courts and in the federal courts that serve the state. He appears in the District of Massachusetts and on occasion in the First Circuit when appeals follow. He currently focuses his practice on representing clients in proceedings before Massachusetts state courts, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the First Circuit.
