Governor Deval Patrick on Wednesday appointed a Northeastern law alumnus, William “Mo” Cowan, to be an interim senator for the Commonwealth, the governor’s office announced.

Cowan, Patrick’s former chief of staff, takes over for Senator John F. Kerry, who this week was confirmed as the nation’s next Secretary of State.

“I am honored and humbled by this appointment today,” Cowan said in a statement. “I pledge to … the people of Massachusetts that during this interim period I will work as hard as humanly possible to perform my duties with the needs and aspirations of our state’s citizens foremost in mind.”

After graduating from the Northeastern School of Law in 1994, Cowan worked as a lawyer at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC, a Boston firm, according to the statement. He also served as a special assistant district attorney in Middlesex County.

In an interview posted to the university’s website, Cowan reflected on his co-op experiences while at Northeastern. According to the interview, he worked first for a judge in the Massachusetts State Trial Court, then in the North Carolina Prison Legal Services and finally in the Palm Beach County Public Defender’s Office in Florida.

He will serve as interim senator until the special election to fill Kerry’s seat takes place on June 25, Patrick’s office said in the statement.

-News Staff