It is fitting that US District Court Judge Denise J. Casper replaced a mentor, the late Reginald C. Lindsay, one of the first black judges to sit on the federal bench in Massachusetts. She has taken over his courtroom on the fifth floor of the Moakley courthouse. His portrait hangs there, a reminder of all the work he did, and all that Casper can accomplish.

Like Lindsay, Casper has broken ground in her own way. At 44, she’s the first black woman to sit on the federal court in Massachusetts. And like her mentor, she’s committed to encouraging others who might one day follow her.