Mary Riley | Chief Operations Office/Chief Financial Officer

Mary Riley has spent decades offering compassionate, face-to-face assistance to women outside abortion facilities. She has personally guided hundreds of mothers to life-affirming resources, documented numerous medical emergencies for regulatory follow-up, and coordinated rapid-response teams that provide practical aid—from transportation and prenatal care referrals to post-abortion healing support. Mary’s on-the-ground insights have informed expert declarations in buffer-zone and informed-consent litigation, and her testimony before city councils has shaped ordinances protecting free speech and patient safety. Through workshops and one-on-one mentorship, she trains Life Legal staff and interns to combine legal knowledge with empathetic outreach, modeling a courageous, service-focused approach to grassroots pro-life advocacy.

Mary graduated with a Liberal Arts degree from the University of San Francisco in 1980. She also earned a certificate from the St. Ignatius Institute. She is the mother of seven children, five of whom are adopted. Mary has been involved in pro-life activities including rescue since 1973 and has served as the Chief Operations Officer/Chief Finance Officer of the Life Legal Defense Foundation since 1989.