Our Practice

Ray Massucco  graduated from the University of Vermont in 1970 and Suffolk Law School in 1973. Attorney Massucco came to the firm directly from law school joining as a Law Clerk in 1972.  By 1975 he had become a partner in the firm handling a majority of the firm's criminal defense cases and litigation. 

Ray was a former president of the Vermont Trial Lawyer’s Association and of the Windham County Bar Association, counsel for the Bellows Falls Village Corporation, an acting Vermont state court judge since 1975, served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations, and was a two-time recipient of an award from the Vermont Supreme Court for exceptional service to the people of Vermont. 

Sadly, Ray passed away unexpectedly on September 27th. The impact he made on our firm and on the community he loved so dearly remains. Ray always loved the Vermont network of attorneys and his clients, the connections and friendships he built over his almost 50 years in practice. He never made it to year 50 as was his plan. But he was still working, and still loving the law, up until the very end, and as busy on the music festival circuit as ever.  

For those of us here, Ray has been a friend, a teacher, and an inspiration as well as a colleague and employer.  He lived his life with joy, integrity, and a deep love of his community and family, not to mention an incredible sense of humor, and he will be missed. Our hearts go out to his wife, Ginny, his children, his beloved grandson, Ben, and everyone else he left behind.

Josh Stern joined the firm as a partner in April, 2019, after working as an associate attorney with Hoff Curtis, P.C. in Burlington, Vermont, representing clients in a wide range of matters in criminal and family court. Before that, he clerked both at this firm (then Massucco Law Office) and at Hoff Curtis, where he completed Vermont’s Four-Year Law Office Study Program.

Attorney Stern's experience in both litigation and transactional law includes motion and trial practice, and briefing and arguing cases to the Vermont Supreme Court, as well as real estate and title work, business formation, probate and estate planning, employment, civil litigation and municipal law. 

Debra Austin

Debra Austin graduated from the University of New Hampshire Paralegal Studies program in 1989.  She joined Massucco Law Office, now Massucco & Stern, P.C., in September, 1984 and is a former member of the Vermont Paralegals Association.

Mrs. Austin resides in Westminster with her husband and enjoys spending her free time with her children and granddaughter.  She is a former Boardmember of the local Westminster Area Youth Sports Association, a program promoting youth sports in the local community.

Rita Gilbride

Rita brings a diverse educational and experiential background to her work. With a Bachelor's of Science in Psychology and a Master of Fine Arts from Marywood University in Scranton, PA, she is a longtime artist and a dedicated member of the local arts community. Her wide-ranging career includes positions in banking management and operations, court-reporting proofreading, and arts instruction,  and for the last seven years she has worked as a legal assistant and office administrator at multiple law firms. She joined Massucco & Stern in June of 2019, and has quickly become an invaluable member of the team.

Rita lives among the backwoods and dirt roads of Chester, Vermont, where she practices a contemplative and creative lifestyle.