--- title: "Mary M. Lisi | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-09" --- # Mary M. Lisi U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island · Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island - State: Rhode Island - Role: Judge - Service status: senior - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official statewide and applicable court procedural guidance applies to this judge. ## Biography ### Professional career - Judge, District Court, D. Rhode Island, 1994-present - Service: Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, May 9, 1994 – October 1, 2015 - Joined the U.S. District Court for Rhode Island in 1994, served as chief judge from 2006 to 2013, and assumed senior status on October 1, 2015 - Chief disciplinary counsel, Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1990-1994 - Deputy disciplinary counsel, Supreme Court of Rhode Island, 1988-1990 - Director, Court Appointed Special Advocate Program, Rhode Island Family Court, 1982-1987 - Director of the Family Court CASA program, 1982–1987. - Assistant public defender, Rhode Island Public Defender's Office, 1977-1981 - Mary Mona Lisi is an inactive Senior United States District Judge for the District of Rhode Island ### Education - Temple University School of Law (now James E. Beasley School of Law) — J.D. (1977) - Temple University School of Law — bio-e86cf5df0062; user_supplied_research — J.D. (1977) - University of Rhode Island — bio-e86cf5df0062; user_supplied_research — B.A. (1972) - United States Army War College ### Additional information - Federal commission issued May 9, 1994; chief judge 2006–2013; senior status October 1, 2015. - Deputy disciplinary counsel, 1988–1990; chief disciplinary counsel, 1990–1994. - Member, Select Commission to Investigate the Failure of Rhode Island Share and Deposit Indemnity Corporation, 1991-1992 - Assistant child advocate, Office of the Child Advocate, State of Rhode Island, 1981-1982 - Private practice, Providence, RI, 1981-1982 - Private practice, Providence, Rhode Island, 1981-1982 - Born September 4, 1950, Providence, Rhode Island. - Date of birth: 1950-01-01 - Her earlier work included public defense, child advocacy, directing the Family Court CASA program, and serving as chief disciplinary counsel for the Rhode Island Supreme Court. - Birth place: Providence, RI ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### presentation procedure Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: The parties, counsel, witnesses, and jurors (if applicable) will not be physically present in the courtroom. All phases of the trial from empanelment to evidence presentation to jury deliberations will occur by video. Attorneys should note that the ZoomGov platform is a secure system that is separate from the commercial or free version of Zoom… [Video%20Trial%20Handbook%20for%20Attorneys.pdf](https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/sites/rid/files/documents/attorney/Video%20Trial%20Handbook%20for%20Attorneys.pdf) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### courtroom technology Scope: courtwide Courtwide presentation-related guidance applies to this judge. Evidence excerpt: Requirements for Electronic Exhibit File Types . All electronic evidence should be provided using the following formats: . Documents: .pdf . [Exhibits | District of Rhode Island | United States District Court](https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/node/1275) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1383941) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1383941) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1383941) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1946/mary-m-lisi/) - [Video%20Trial%20Handbook%20for%20Attorneys.pdf](https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/sites/rid/files/documents/attorney/Video%20Trial%20Handbook%20for%20Attorneys.pdf) - [Exhibits | District of Rhode Island | United States District Court](https://www.rid.uscourts.gov/node/1275) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/1946/mary-m-lisi/) - [Judge Mary M. Lisi](https://www.fjc.gov/node/1383941) - [Wikidata: Mary M. Lisi](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6780192) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi", "name": "Mary M. Lisi | KnowJudges", "description": "Mary M. Lisi, U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. Source-linked judicial identity, courtroom procedures, and presentation guidance.", "dateModified": "2026-10-09", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/#website" }, "mainEntity": { "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi#judge" } }, { "@type": "Person", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi#judge", "name": "Mary M. 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Lisi", "item": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/mary-m-lisi" } ] } ] } ``` ## Federal civil docket activity Dataset updated through 2026-06-30. | Period | Assigned cases | Terminated cases | Median disposition (months) | Median sample | | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: | | 1y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 2y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 5y | 0 | 0 | Not available | 0 | | 10y | 2 | 2 | Not available | 2 | Source: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/ ## Published courtroom rules ### Shared court rules - [Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-651872d6e45e0d82319ecccc) — Civil actions in United States District Courts; Rule 81 exceptions apply. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.