Judge Ricciardone came to central Massachusetts in the mid-1980’s as prosecutor in the office of then District Attorney John Conte. It was as an assistant district attorney, prosecuting hundreds of criminal complaints to verdict, that he discovered his passion for trial work. From 1989 through 2004, Judge Ricciardone engaged in the private practice of law in Worcester and his practice included a broad spectrum of criminal and civil matters on behalf of individuals in both the Massachusetts state and Federal courts.
Dave Ricciardone grew up in Medford, Massachusetts, one of six children in a family raised by parents who emphasized the importance of education. (His father is alive and well at the age of 101!) He earned his B.A. degree (cum laude) from Harvard University in 1980 and his law degree from the Villanova School of Law. While at Harvard, Judge Ricciardone was on the Harvard Crew team and spent a year studying abroad in Madrid, Spain.
Judge Ricciardone has maintained most of his fluency in Spanish, holds a Light Sport Aircraft license, and remains an avid student of golf, tennis, pickleball, skiing, kayaking and backgammon.
Hon. David Ricciardone, Ret.
dricciardone@cmmaadr.com
CMMA is proud to include as a Neutral, Judge David Ricciardone (Ret.) who served as a justice in the Superior Court of the Massachusetts Trial Court between January 2011 and April 2022. Judge Ricciardone presided over everything from complex civil and criminal motion hearings to hundreds of jury trials in cases ranging from medical malpractice to murder.
For the seven years prior to his appointment to the Superior Court, Judge Ricciardone served as a District Court Justice, from 2004 through 2011. Between 2017-2018, he served as the Regional Administrative Justice of Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties and was a member of the Jury Management Advisory Committee 2017-2022. Judge Ricciardone was an original member of the Judicial Mentoring Program from 2008 through 2022. His service to the bar also includes acting as President of the Worcester County Bar Advocates from 1994 through 2023.
One of the Judge’s proudest moments was being appointed judge of the Worcester District Court by Governor Romney in 2004—an honor rivaled only by his appointment to the Superior Court by Governor Deval Patrick seven years later. After eighteen years of service on the bench, Judge Ricciardone now seeks to continue to assist the community in accessing justice through arbitration and mediation.