BOSTON, MASS.- The official portrait of First Circuit Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson was recently unveiled at the Moakley Federal Courthouse before an audience that included her fellow judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and the three of her children: William Sr., Sarah, and Reza Clifton.

Chief Judge David J. Barron noted that Clark's portrait adds diversity to the court's 150-year-old collection, as it is the first portrait of an African American and only the second portrait of a woman to grace the courthouse walls. According to Judge Barron, the consensus of the court this painting is a document of our changing times and adds a modern portrait to the traditional courthouse collection.

Judge Thompson has served on the Boston-based appeals court for more than a decade. Appointed by President Barack Obama, in 2010, she is widely respected for her complex opinions, written in language that is faithful to the law yet accessible to the general public.

The oil-on-linen portrait was painted by internationally acclaimed artist Timothy J. Clark. In addition to the Moakley Courthouse, Clark's portraits are held in numerous public and private collections, including the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division in Washington, D.C.

In his remarks, Clark spoke of art and justice as cornerstones of civilization and said he sought to capture the intelligence, individuality, and compassion of a groundbreaking judge. "I am honored to have been selected to paint the official portrait of Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson," said Clark. "I hope I have conveyed the wit, intelligence, and kindness she carries with such humility."

In the portrait, Judge Thompson is shown wearing a striking white scarf with a blue floral pattern and holding a gavel, both a symbol of the law and a reminder of her late husband, William, who presented it to her when she was elevated to the court.

Senators Reed and Whitehouse each praised Judge Thompson's integrity and humanity. More than eighty of her former law clerks and interns attended, many attesting to her lasting influence as a mentor and inspiration.

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson

Judge O. Rogeriee Thompson joined the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in April 2010 and assumed senior status in September 2022. Appointed by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, she is the first African American and the second woman to serve on the First Circuit.

Before her appointment, Judge Thompson spent decades in Rhode Island’s legal and judicial community, serving as an Associate Justice of the Rhode Island Superior Court from 1997 to 2010 and as an Associate Judge of the Rhode Island District Court for nine years. She also served as a senior partner at Thompson & Thompson, Assistant City Solicitor for the City of Providence, an associate at McKinnon and Fortunato, and a senior staff attorney at Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.

A graduate of Brown University and Boston University School of Law, Judge Thompson has received numerous honors for her judicial leadership and public service. She resides in Rhode Island and has three children.

Timothy J. Clark

Known for his expressive interiors, urban landscapes, portraits, and figures, Clark's watercolors, oils, and drawings are included in more than twenty museum collections, among them the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.; the Museum of the City of New York; the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, New York; the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio; the Farnsworth Art Museum in Rockland, Maine; and the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock.

A California native, Clark is a graduate of the Chouinard Art Institute and the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). He maintains studios in Capistrano Beach, California, New York City, and West Bath, Maine.