Wayne Budd

Attorney Wayne Anthony Budd was born on November 18, 1941 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Educated in Springfield public schools, Budd graduated from Cathedral High School in 1959. In 1963, he received an A.B. degree cum laude in economics from Boston College. Between 1963 and 1967, he worked in the Industrial Relations Department at Ford Motor Company while attending law school at night. He attended Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit and received a J.D. degree in 1967.

Following his law school graduation, Budd served as Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston from 1968 to 1969. During that same time period, he developed a private law practice.

Budd also served as president of the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. In 1979, he became the first African American to head the Massachusetts Bar as President and at that time he was the youngest (at age 38) president of any state bar association.

Appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1992, Budd served as Associate Attorney General of the United States. He oversaw the Civil Rights, Environmental, Tax, Civil and Anti-Trust Divisions at the Department of Justice, as well as the Bureau of Prisons. From 1989 to 1992, he worked as the United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, serving as the state’s chief federal prosecutor and representing the federal government in all matters involving civil litigation. During this time, he was recognized for his efforts in combating drugs, street crime and gang violence. Budd also served as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission, appointed to that position in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.

Budd is currently senior counsel in the law firm Goodwin Proctor in Boston, Massachusetts, where he specializes in business and commercial litigation. Budd had previously been a senior partner at Goodwin Proctor from 1993 to 1996.

Prior to rejoining Goodwin Proctor in 2004, Budd served as Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel at John Hancock Financial Services, where he was responsible for directing all of the company’s legal activities as well as overseeing the compliance, human resources, governmental affairs and community relations. Before joining Hancock, Budd was Group President-New England at Bell Atlantic Corporation (now Verizon Communications) where he was responsible for policy, regulatory and legislative functions for the New England states served by Bell Atlantic.

Budd has served numerous government, public service, educational and business entities including serving as Commissioner and Chairman of the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission (1972 – 1989); as a Trustee of Boston College (1980 - 1997); as Director (former ViceChair) of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; and as a member of the National Board of the American Automobile Association.

Budd is the father of three daughters--Kim, a lawyer, born in 1966; Kristi, a teacher, born in 1968; and Kern, a nurse, born in 1970.

Budd was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on April 5, 2006.