Ruth O'Meara-Costello

Ruth O’Meara-Costello represents clients in criminal defense, Title IX, and employment law matters. Ruth is a committed and thoughtful advocate for her clients and has achieved significant victories both in and out of court. Ruth’s commitment to individual rights and to due process inform her work with university students and faculty facing disciplinary action at their universities. Her experience handling criminal sexual assault cases complements her work representing accused students, and allows her to provide comprehensive legal representation to the students and faculty members she represents. Ruth also assists students and faculty accused of other university disciplinary violations, including plagiarism and academic dishonesty. Ruth is recognized as a thought leader in Title IX law, and frequently writes about legal issues in campus disciplinary proceedings and provides her expertise to the press on these matters. Ruth’s legal expertise and insight have resulted in victories or reduced sanctions for her clients in criminal matters. Ruth’s criminal defense practice encompasses trials and appeals in both state and federal court, and she has represented defendants on a range of charges Ruth represents plaintiffs subjected to discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, unequal pay, or other violations of their workplace rights in litigation in the state and federal courts and before the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD). She also frequently works with employees behind the scenes to help them handle difficult situations at work and preserve their employment or achieve settlements without any litigation. At Harvard Law School, Ruth was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, where she represented clients in domestic relations cases and before the Department of Unemployment Assistance. In 2017 and 2018, Ruth was selected to the Rising Stars list by Super Lawyers. View More ›