Francis X. Spina was born in Pittsfield on November 13, 1946. He received a B.A. degree from Amherst College and a J.D. degree from Boston College Law School. From 1972 to 1974, Justice Spina served with Western Massachusetts Legal Services. From 1975 to 1977, he served as an assistant city solicitor for the City of Pittsfield Law Department. From 1979 to 1983, he served as second assistant district attorney in the Berkshire County Attorney's Office. Justice Spina was a partner with the Pittsfield law firms of Reder, Whalen, and Spina and Katz, Lapointe and Spina from 1983 to 1993.
Justice Spina served on the Superior Court from 1993 to 1997 and the Appeals Court from 1997 to 1999, and he was appointed an associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court on October 14, 1999. He lives in Pittsfield.