Holly R. Rao, Esq., of Warwick has been elected Secretary of the Rhode Island Bar Association.

Rao is a partner at Olenn & Penza, LLP. Her term runs from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025.

Founded in 1898, the Rhode Island Bar Association is a non-profit organization counting all those licensed to practice law in Rhode Island as its members. Currently the membership totals more than 6,500.

Association objectives are to uphold and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Constitution and laws of Rhode Island and to maintain representative, democratic government.

In addition, the association seeks to advance the science of jurisprudence; to promote the administration of justice; to uphold the honor and dignity of the process of law; to apply its knowledge and experience to the field of law and to promote the public good.

Rao practices primarily in the areas of insurance defense, professional negligence, insurance coverage and construction. Her professional negligence defense work mainly involves representing other lawyers sued in state or federal court for malpractice involving a variety of underlying practice areas.

Rao has served on the association’s House of Delegates since 2016 and the Executive Committee over the last six years. She also served as the chairperson of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee in 2018 and has continued to serve as the chairperson of the Insurance Programs Committee since 2015. 

In addition, she is a member of the International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC), Kent County Bar Association and Justinian Law Society of Rhode Island. She is a graduate of Boston College and Franklin Pierce Law Center. She is admitted to practice before all Rhode Island and Massachusetts courts, United States District Courts and United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.