Scott W. Lang is the 37th Mayor of the City of New Bedford. Born in Oceanside, New York on October 25, 1950, Mayor Lang worked as a paperboy, laborer and gas attendant as a high school student. He then worked his way through college delivering beer for Rheingold Breweries, as a warehouse man and clerk at Railroad Salvage in Milwaukee and as a bricklayer’s tender in the summer of 1971. All three of these jobs were union jobs.
Scott Lang graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1972 with a degree in History and Political Science. He attended Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. while working for the Democratic National Committee. He graduated from Georgetown in 1976 was admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1977.
Having family and friends in the area, he moved to New Bedford in 1978 and began practicing law, working for Attorney John M. Xifaras. District Attorney John A. Tierney appointed Mayor Lang a special assistant district attorney in October of 1978. He went on to serve as a Prosecuting Attorney in the Third District Court for District Attorney Ronald A. Pina and was later assigned to the Superior Court as a prosecutor where he served until 1990.
Early in his legal career, he worked in the sports and entertainment law field, representing athletes and broadcasters. Mayor Lang has extensive experience in labor law and has represented both private and public sector labor unions. In addition, he has represented employers and business entities on statutory issues. He also has extensive experience in the areas of personal injury, catastrophic personal injury and workers’ compensation, as well as state and federal labor and employment law and Civil Rights cases.
He has practiced in the Massachusetts District Courts, Probate Court, Massachusetts Superior Court, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the United States District Court, the United States Appeals Court, the Department of Industrial Accidents, the Division of Employment and Training, the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Merit Protection Systems Board, the Social Security Administration, the Veterans Administration, Office of Federal Workers’ Compensation, the Massachusetts Civil Service Commission, the Massachusetts Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, as well as the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission.
Since 1990 he has lectured in various forums on employment issues regarding the Family Medical Leave Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Workers’ Compensation Law and other employment-related issues. He has contributed several articles to Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education in employment-related areas.
As an Adjunct Professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Mayor Lang has taught numerous courses on Employment Law, Labor Relations Law, the Presidential Nominating Process, the United States Government, Massachusetts Politics, and introductory political science courses. He also has served as an arbitrator and mediator for Commonwealth Mediation and Conciliation, Inc. and has sponsored numerous youth baseball teams as well as sports and academic programs throughout the city.
With a strong history of civic engagement and public service, Scott Lang saw an opportunity to become even more involved in his community by entering the race for Mayor of the City of New Bedford in 2005. Upon his election, Mayor Lang wasted no time in rallying the community and addressing the quality-of-life issues most important to city residents. In his first term, he led a full-scale, comprehensive effort to reduce crime, including re-opening police district stations and strengthening the police presence community wide; initiated an aggressive program to address abandoned and tax delinquent properties; created jobs by supporting small businesses; resolved collective bargaining agreements with city employee unions; reduced a projected FY ’06 budget deficit; initiated city financial management system improvements; and sparked a statewide discussion about the need to modify the State’s MCAS graduation requirement.
In 2007, Mayor Lang was re-elected for a second term by 87% of voters and his priorities continue to include enhancing public safety, competing to create more and better jobs, managing city government efficiently, preparing New Bedford children to meet the challenges of their future, developing strong, vibrant neighborhoods and strengthening community spirit. For his distinguished leadership regarding education issues, Mayor Lang received awards in 2007 from the Massachusetts Association of School Committees and the Citizens for Public Schools. For his innovative leadership on a myriad of issues impacting the New Bedford community, NBC 10 and The Standard-Times named him the “2006 SouthCoast Man of the Year”. In 2008, Mayor Lang was nominated to serve on the Massachusetts Local Government Advisory Council; a group of officials who advise the Governor on key issues facing cities and towns. Mayor Lang has also initiated and raised the funds to support an annual summer youth program for New Bedford teenagers, structured on community service, classroom learning and professional development and enrichment activities.
Mayor Lang has been married to Marguerite "Gig" Lang since 1973; they have 3 children, Nate, Andy and Sarah.
