About Kristi A.
Kristi A. Bodin has a legal education that spans small-town community college to a New England law school. She earned an A.A. from Greenfield Community College in 1978, a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1980, and a J.D. from Western New England University School of Law in 1994. Those credentials mark a steady progression into the law over more than a decade.
Her undergraduate work in communication studies surfaces often in accounts of her courtroom style. She trained first in the liberal arts before turning to legal study. Law school brought technical training and the chance to connect classroom doctrine to the practical demands of courtroom work. The combination of a communication background and later legal education gives her an uncommon grounding for argument work and written advocacy.
Bodin is admitted to practice in Massachusetts and to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. She has handled matters that required familiarity with both state procedure and federal appellate rules. Colleagues say she approaches cases methodically, paying close attention to the record and to appellate standards of review. She is known for clear briefs and a concise oral style that draws on those earlier studies in communication.
Her professional life has been built around litigation that crosses different layers of the judicial system. That has required keeping up with evolving law and procedure in Massachusetts and in the First Circuit. She draws on long experience in preparing appeals, drafting memoranda, and managing the rhythms of appellate practice. Those tasks demand precision, patience, and a readiness to explain complex legal points to judges and clients alike.
Today she maintains an active practice in Massachusetts. Her work regularly involves filings and arguments in state courts and the federal appeals court that covers New England. She continues to emphasize careful legal writing and measured oral argument in matters before Massachusetts tribunals and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.
