Hon. Christopher D. Welch is an associate justice of the Massachusetts District Court. He was appointed to the bench by former Governor Mitt Romney in 2006.
Welch presided as First Justice of the Falmouth District Court from 2017 to 2019 before becoming an associate justice of Region 1, which includes the Falmouth, Barnstable, Orleans, Edgartown, Nantucket, Plymouth, New Bedford, and Fall River District Courts. As such, he serves on rotation on an as-needed basis.
Welch received a B.A. from Boston University in 1981. He then completed a J.D. from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law in 1985.
After law school, Welch practiced briefly at the Law Office of Richard Seegal (1986) before becoming an associate at the Law Office of James McCusker. Two years later, Welch joined Gallagher & Gallagher and remained with the firm until leaving the private sector in 1991.
It was at that time, he became an assistant district attorney with the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. During his four years there, Welch rose to the rank of supervising assistant district attorney.
In 1995, he returned to private practice. Welch first practiced as an associate at Smith & Brink for two years before becoming a partner at McGovern, Hug, Welch & Ganem in 1997. Then, after a stint in solo practice (1999 to 2001), Welch became a partner at Rubin & Rudman, where his practice focused on insurance defense litigation. He remained with the firm until his appointment to the District Court in 2006.