Martha Mary Coakley was born on July 14, 1953, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she was raised. She graduated from North Catholic High School in 1971, earned a B.A. in history from Christendom College in 1975, and received her J.D. from Boston University School of Law in 1979. Coakley began her career as an assistant district attorney in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and was elected District Attorney in 1998, serving from 1999 to 2007. As the first female Attorney General of Massachusetts (2007-2015), she handled major cases including the foreclosure crisis, healthcare reform, the Catholic Church abuse scandal, joining multi-state lawsuits against tobacco companies, and defending same-sex marriage. In 2010, she lost a special U.S. Senate election to Scott Brown after a controversial campaign gaffe, and she was also a Democratic candidate for Governor. After leaving office, she became a partner at Foley Hoag, focusing on government relations and lobbying. Coakley is married to Thomas F. Conroy, a former Massachusetts state representative, and they have two daughters. She has faced criticism for her handling of certain cases, such as the 2009 death of Scott McCarron and the Ted Kennedy funeral ticket scandal.