By Katie Mulvaney Journal Staff Writer
PROVIDENCE — Gov. Gina Raimondo on Thursday nominated longtime assistant public defender and chief of the appellate division Lara E. Montecalvo as the new top public defender in Rhode Island.
Montecalvo joined the Rhode Island Public Defender’s Office in 2004, rising to the chief of its appellate division. If the nomination is approved by the state Senate, Montecalvo would replace Mary S. McElroy, who last year took the U.S. District Court bench.
“Lara’s experience as a trial attorney, her commitment to the rule of law, and her strong sense of compassion and empathy make her an outstanding public defender,” Raimondo said in a statement. “She has big shoes to fill, and I know she is the right person to lead this office and ensure the rights of the accused are fully protected.”
Through the years as a public defender, Montecalvo has represented a vast array of defendants, from a Newport woman accused of looting friends on the sailing circuit to murderers and con men.
The Rhode Island Public Defenders’ Office was established in 1941 and is believed to be the first statewide full-service such office in the nation. It represents indigent clients facing a range of charges from murder and serious felonies, to misdemeanors and juvenile delinquency matters, to cases in which parents face losing custody of their children.
Montecalvo, of Barrington who is married to defense lawyer Craig V. Montecalvo, earned a bachelor of arts degree from Swarthmore College before attending Boston College Law School.
She worked as a trial lawyer with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., from 2000 to 2004, according to a Senate advice and consent questionnaire. kmulvane@ providencejournal.com
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