Roderick L. Ireland (born December 3, 1944) is a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, and the first African American to serve that position.

He was nominated for Chief Justice by Governor Deval Patrick on November 4, 2010,[1] and sworn in on December 20.

In 1997, he was appointed Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by Governor William Weld.

He resigned from the high court in 2014, and was replaced by Associate Justice Ralph Gants.

He is currently Distinguished Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities at Northeastern University.[when?]