Bruce Selya, long-serving judge on the U.S. First Court of Appeals and Providence resident, dies

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — 90-year-old Judge Bruce M. Selya, a lifelong resident of Providence and a long-serving judge on the U.S. First Court of Appeals, died on Sunday.

Selya was appointed U.S. District Court judge for the District of Rhode Island in 1982 and was elevated the First Circuit Court of Appeals in 1986.

He became the first Jewish person to ascend to the federal bench in Rhode Island.

Selya attended Classical High School before going on to graduate with honors from Harvard Law School.

He also taught law at Boston College, Boston University, and Roger Williams University.

Sen. Jack Reed said that Rhode Island lost a “legal legend” with Salya’s passing.

“As a judge, Bruce Selya was nationally renowned and respected and set a high bar that many others in his profession admire and aspire to reach,” he said. “As a man, he will be remembered for his exemplary devotion to the law and uplifting others, particularly those in his beloved hometown of Providence.”

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse also recognized Selya.

“[Rest in Peace] Bruce Selya, a Rhode Islander with a long and honorable judicial career,” he said.

In 2023 the City of Providence renamed Fulton Street next to the federal courthouse Judge Selya Way.