A lawyer's dream coming true for Isherwood

It’s rare that the Isherwood family is together these days.

But that’s what happened at 4:29 p.m. Friday when Stephen M. Isherwood got the call that could change his life. He said he’s been smiling so much ever since that his cheeks are red.

On Friday Gov. Donald Carcieri announced Isherwood was one of his five nominations to the Superior and District Courts. Isherwood was driving when he got the call and not only was his wife, but his son, Michael, who had returned to the state to take the State Police examination and his daughter, Caitlin, were with him. Everybody shared in the excitement. And Isherwood has been getting congratulatory calls ever since.

One of those calls came from City Clerk Marie Ahlert, although she hates seeing Isherwood leave his post as city probate judge.

“For us it’s going to be tough,” she says. Ahlert said Isherwood has not only been thorough, but understanding and compassionate. Probate court can be a contentious place with family factions fighting and people not understanding the process.

Ahlert said Isherwood seeks to mediate and without offering legal advice walks people through the probate process.

Isherwood, 50, was picked about six years ago to succeed Mary McCaffrey as probate judge. It was a step in a long time dream although at the time he had no way of knowing it could lead to the state’s District Court.

He said Monday when he was a student in law school he dreamed of the day he would become a lawyer and then later after becoming a lawyer his dream was to become a judge.

In addition to Isherwood, who was selected to fill the seat left open when Jeanne LaFazia became chief judge of the District Court, Carcieri nominated Colleen Hastings, a Family Court magistrate to replace Judge Michael Higgins on the District Court. Higgins has retired.

The governor’s Superior Court nominees are Brian Van Couyghen of Narragansett to succeed Judge Gilbert Indeglia who was elevated to the Supreme Court; Sarah Taft-Carter of Narragansett to fill the post left vacant when Alice Gibney became presiding justice of the Superior Court and Walter R. Stone of Providence who was named to replace O. Rogeriee Thompson who was named to the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals by President Obama.

Isherwood and the other nominations require consent and approval of the State Senate. Isherwood has been associated with Schreiber & Schreiber, Professional Corporation of Cranston since 1994.

Born in Providence, Stephen received his Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Science in Education degrees from Elmira College in Elmira, New York. He received his law degree from New England School of Law, Boston, Massachusetts in 1988. He was admitted to the Rhode Island Bar in 1989.

Isherwood is a member of the Rhode Island and American Bar Associations and the Rhode Island Trial Lawyers Association. The Isherwoods live on Fair Street across from St. Peter Church, where he serves as chairman of the parish education board and on the church finance council.

Isherwood said yesterday, when he was being interviewed by the judicial nominating committee, he told them “Thursday is my favorite day of the week.” Thursday is probate court day in Warwick.

“How fortunate I will be to do it every day of the week,” he added.